Fire And Ice
by Allegra Monet
Summary: CHAPPY 16 and 17 NOW UP! (Yes, I'm lazy ;;;) Brad, Solera and Kio seem inseparable. But the turn of events tears them apart, and they meet up again years later in unfortunate circumstances. Will they find out what happened before it's too late?
1. Another year, another trial

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: I know Kio isn't a German name, but it suits him, so don't flame me for it!  
  
  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter One- Another year, another trial.  
  
  
  
"Bradley! Wait up!"  
  
14 year old Solera Maxwell ran to catch up with her friend.  
  
Bradley Crawford, 15, or Brad as he was more commonly called, turned around and smiled.  
  
"Solera! Haven't seen you for a while. Did you have fun in Germany?"  
  
Solera had been in Germany on vacation with her family for the last 3 months. She had missed her best friend so much and it was good to see him again.  
  
"It was fun, but there's nothing like being home."  
  
There was a few seconds silence before the school bell rang.  
  
"Hurry up, or we'll be late!"  
  
  
  
  
  
They got to class 5 minutes late.  
  
"Mr Crawford, Miss Maxwell. So nice of you to join us. Have a seat."  
  
Brad and Solera nearly groaned out loud. Not Mr Adams! What a way to start Year 10. Mr Adams was the worst teacher at Pacific High. They took their seats and Mr Adams continued to speak.  
  
"As I was saying to the rest of the class, I am your homeroom teacher and science teacher this year. And," he began to smile, "we also have a new student. His name is Kio Müller*** and he's from Germany."  
  
Mr Adams stepped aside to reveal a boy about 15 with fiery red hair and mischievous green eyes. Solera recognised him immediately.  
  
"Kio!"  
  
Kio squinted.  
  
"Solera! Wie geht's?"  
  
"Gut, gut. Und du?"  
  
"Ja, ich bin gut, danke."  
  
Mr Adams noted that Kio and Solera seemed to know each other.  
  
"Kio, would you please sit next Solera, and Solera, would you be able to show him around today?"  
  
She nodded as Kio made his way towards the empty seat. Brad passed a note to Solera. It read:  
  
How do you know Kio?  
  
Solera wrote back:  
  
I met him while I was in Germany. We became friends, but he didn't tell me he was moving to America!  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************  
  
  
  
After school, Kio walked home with Brad and Solera.  
  
"So Kio, why did you move to America?" asked Solera.  
  
"Well, my dad had some business he needed to attend to here."  
  
"What does he do?"  
  
"He works for the government." Kio frowned for a moment. It was clear he wasn't going to elaborate.  
  
What a coincidence, Brad thought, so does my dad.  
  
  
  
They walked in silence until they reached Kio's house.  
  
"We'll be over at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning," said Solera, "make sure you're ready."  
  
"Okay. Goodbye!"  
  
Kio went inside.  
  
"Kio, how was your day?"  
  
"Fine, Vati."  
  
"You look.unhappy. Is there a problem?"  
  
"Nein."  
  
Kio went up to his room and closed the door. Who was he kidding? There was a problem, a big problem. He didn't like his father, and his mother didn't want him.  
  
I live a sad existence, he thought.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************  
  
  
  
Solera did the usual thing she did every day after school:  
  
She went over to Brad's house until 6pm, then she went home . Her parents worked full-time. Brad liked the company and his parents liked Solera, so it was a system that worked for all involved.  
  
The two teenagers disappeared into Brad's room.  
  
"Brad, what do you think of Kio?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Brad? Brad! What are you doing?"  
  
Brad seemed engrossed in what appeared to be the Wall Street Journal.  
  
Solera attempted to get his attention again. "Since when have you been interested in the stock market?"  
  
"Since my dad told me about it. It's a way to make money."  
  
"And a way to get grey hairs before you're 20." Solera leaned back on the chair she was on, and put her feet on Brad's desk, "I intend to stay as far away from the stock market as possible."  
  
"Typical."  
  
Solera sat up. "What do mean by that?"  
  
What I mean is that you're gonna be one of these people who have no interest in the future. You'll just take every day as it comes."  
  
Yep, that's the best way."  
  
Brad rolled his eyes.  
  
"Back to my question," said Solera, "what do you think of Kio?"  
  
"He's okay, I don't mind him, but I know what he thinks of you." He turned to face Solera, who looked back at him confused.  
  
"I'm waiting.." she said impatiently.  
  
"He likes you, Solera."  
  
"What, Kio? Nah, we're just friends."  
  
"I've seen the way he looks at you."  
  
"Brad, you've known him for all of six and a half hours. How can you tell?"  
  
"Instinct."  
  
It was Solera's turn to roll her eyes. "I gotta go home anyway. I'll see you tomorrow." She walked out the door and down the stairs. "Boys are so confusing."  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************  
  
  
  
"Girls are so confusing," said Brad.  
  
Suddenly his head began to hurt, and he fell into a trance-like state, eyes closed as if he were concentrating. In his mind, he could see his dad talking to him, saying something about moving to Japan. He didn't see any more after that, because his eyes opened and he fell, exhausted, on his bed.  
  
10 minutes later, his father knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," said Brad.  
  
The door opened, his father came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey, son. I've got some news. We're moving to Japan!"  
  
Brad sat bolt upright in bed. "We're doing WHAT?!" he yelled, almost unable to form clear words. "I foresaw this!"  
  
Mr Crawford, who had been playing with the hem of his jacket, looked at his son. "Did you just say you foresaw this?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Did you see it through a vision?"  
  
Brad nodded.  
  
"Did your head start to hurt just before it happened?"  
  
He nodded again.  
  
"Okay. I have to tell you something important. Make sure you listen carefully."  
  
Brad leaned back on the headboard of his bed, waiting for his dad to continue.  
  
"You are psychic. So am I. We're both precognitive; we can both see into the future, about 10 minutes, I think."  
  
"Can Mum?"  
  
"No, only the Crawford side of the family."  
  
"Can I control my ability?"  
  
"No, that's the downside. It'll come without warning."  
  
"Dad, how long have you been a pre-cog?"  
  
"Since I was your age. It came as a shock to me, too."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"If you ever have any trouble with it, come and see me."  
  
"Thanks, Dad."  
  
Mr Crawford walked out of the room, leaving Brad alone again.  
  
Aside from his newly acquired ability, the only thing on his mind was Solera. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Her pretty hazel eyes, her reddy-brown hair, the way she frowned when she was concentrating. He would have asked her out already, he was going to today, but then Kio came on the scene. Brad could have sworn Kio was a telepath. A few times, he saw Kio looking at him strangely. And later on, he felt like someone was trying to tell him something, and the signals were coming from Kio's direction. It sounded like, "Solera's mine," but he wasn't sure. Maybe he was just being paranoid.  
  
Now he would never be able to ask Solera out. He was moving to Japan in 3 days. He would have probably never been able to ask her out anyway. Not with Kio around. Solera acted different around Kio, almost in a flirting manner. Mind you, so did the rest of the girls in the class. Kio ignored them and focussed on Solera. Damn him.  
  
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************  
  
  
  
Solera was doing her homework when the phone rang.  
  
"Hello, Solera speaking."  
  
"Solera, it's Brad."  
  
"Are you okay? You don't sound too happy."  
  
"I'm not. I'm moving to Japan at the end of the week."  
  
"JAPAN?! How am I meant to see you if you're all the way over there?!"  
  
"I..I don't know. Maybe one day you can visit me. Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Okay. Bye." Solera hung up and went to tell her parents the news.  
  
"Mum, Dad, Brad's moving to Japan at the end of the week!"  
  
"We know, honey. His parents told us just before," said Mrs Maxwell.  
  
"We're am I gonna go after school?"  
  
"Well, maybe you should ask Kio if you can stay at his house. I'm sure Mr Müller wouldn't mind."  
  
"Okay. I forgot about Kio."  
  
Solera turned to walk away, then stopped. "Would I be able to visit Brad when he's settled in?"  
  
"Solera, sweetie, times are tough. We wouldn't be able to afford it."  
  
Solera continued to walk away, eyes welling up with tears. She got to her room, fell onto her bed and cried herself to sleep. Life just wouldn't be the same without Brad.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
END CHAPTER ONE  
  
*** "Kio Müller" is a certain German's real name, according to my story, so don't take it as fact!  
  
  
  
  
  
What did you think of it? I need your reviews to help me improve it, if it's necessary.  
  
~BLUE SILHOUETTE~ 


	2. Jealousy

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Two- Jealousy  
  
  
  
The day arrived when Brad would leave Solera's life forever, it seemed. Solera and Kio were driven to the airport to say goodbye to Brad. Solera had been crying all the way there, and Brad had been trying to comfort her, but to no avail.  
  
Finally they arrived, and Brad gave Solera the biggest hug, like he didn't want to let her go. Eventually she pulled away, and went to kiss him on the cheek, but he pulled her forward and kissed her passionately. Solera stood in half-shock, half-surprise.  
  
Brad grinned at her then whispered to her, "There are so many things I wish I could tell you now. But I will say one thing, I'm gonna miss you so much. I know we'll see each other again one day."  
  
He hugged her again, and turned to speak to Kio. "You make sure you look after her, Kio."  
  
Kio just nodded and shook Brad's hand.  
  
"Bye guys, I really wish I could stay."  
  
Brad began to walk away, and Solera, who had just managed to get her crying under control, burst into tears again. Sad smiles were exchanged, and goodbyes were said. Kio and Solera walked back to the car, where Solera's dad was waiting.  
  
On the way back to Kio's, Solera had fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. His mischievous grin never left his face. The last words Brad said to him were, "Make sure you look after her." Oh, he would. Now that Brad was out of the picture, it was time for him to step in.  
  
"Mr Maxwell, would Solera be able to stay at my house for a while?"  
  
"Um, well, I don't see why not. Just."  
  
"Look after her? I know, I will." Why did everyone keep saying that to him? They didn't trust him, just like his father. He knew his father didn't trust him, because Kio was a telepath. Only Mr Müller knew about his ability. Kio's mother had the same ability. He assumed that she was having enough trouble dealing with it, without having to look after her own son. One day he would pay her back for it.  
  
They arrived at Kio's, and Kio carried the still-sleeping Solera into the house, and lay her on his bed. He sat down beside her on the edge of the bed and watched her quietly. She eventually stirred and opened her eyes.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked.  
  
"At my house. Your dad said you could come over for a while. You've been asleep for a couple of hours, since we came back from the airport."  
  
This caused Solera's smile to fade, as she remembered why they were there.  
  
Kio saw this and leaned forward to hug her. "Hey Solera, don't cry. I may not be able to replace Brad, but I'll be here for you."  
  
"Kio, you have a really nice accent."  
  
He blushed slightly at Solera's comment. Solera moved over to make room for Kio to sit next to her. Without hesitation, he occupied the space, reached over and held her hand. She relaxed a little and rested her head on his shoulder. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her waist.  
  
"Solera?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Will you go out with me?"  
  
"..."  
  
"If you don't want to, I'll understand."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Kio feigned surprise. "Really? That's great!" He kissed Solera on the cheek. // I'll look after you, you can count on it. //  
  
Solera nearly fell off the bed in surprise. "Am I going crazy, or are you a telepath?"  
  
"I'm a telepath."  
  
"Seriously? That's so cool! Does this mean I can communicate with you telepathically as well?"  
  
"I don't know," Kio said with a grin. "Let's try it out, shall we?" Solera gave a consenting nod, and Kio continued, "I'll say something to you, and you say it back to me."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Kio concentrated, // I love you. //  
  
Solera said it back to him, realised what she said and blushed crimson. "You tricked me!" she cried, before getting tackled by Kio, who almost fell off the bed in the process.  
  
They were interrupted by Mr Müller calling from the living room. "Solera! Your father just called, and he wants you to come home!"  
  
"I've got to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Kio pouted. Solera messed up his tied-back hair, and he stood up and kissed her forehead.  
  
"Bye now."  
  
She made her way home, smiling.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Damn you, Kio!" Brad slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair. He had just had a vision of Kio asking Solera out, and he was unable to stop it from coming to pass. "Why did we have to move to Japan anyway? Why couldn't I have a father with a normal job, instead of one who works for the government? Why couldn't my best friend come with me? This is so frustrating!"  
  
The Crawfords were in a private jet. The government officials didn't want anyone to find out about Mr Crawford and his line of work. It was "too risky", as they put it.  
  
"Calm down, Bradley, you'll get accustomed to the lifestyle."  
  
"Mum! That's easy for you to say, you're Japanese!"  
  
"That's right, and you're forgetting that you're my child, I gave birth to you, so technically you're also Japanese!"  
  
Mr Crawford cut in, "And besides, don't you want to meet your relatives?"  
  
"No, not particularly."  
  
Mrs Crawford began muttering in Japanese, "I can't believe I gave birth to such a difficult child!"  
  
"Mika, it's not your fault! He's doesn't know what he's saying, he's a teenager!"  
  
"Oh, it's alright for you to say, Jacob! You're a male! You know what he's going through, I don't!"  
  
Brad rolled his eyes. His parents were arguing again. No surprise there. He stared out the plane window and whispered, "Solera, help me."  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'll find you soon, Brad."  
  
Solera was staring out her bedroom window at the sky, thinking about how her day had progressed. She had gone from being beyond consolation one minute, to being on top of the world the next.  
  
She wondered about what had made her say yes to Kio. Could it have been his charm, good looks and sense of humour? Or maybe she had been manipulated a little. Ah well, she felt better when she was around him, his almost constant cheekiness made her smile.  
  
But then she was confused as to why Brad had kissed her. They were best friends and all, but it took her by complete surprise. Maybe he liked her as more than a friend. Brad wasn't one to let his true feelings show. Or was he? That little outburst at his house a few days ago, maybe he was jealous of Kio. He did say that Kio wanted to be more than 'just friends'.  
  
The damage was done, and Brad was out of her life. Solera fell into a restless sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
**** THE NEXT DAY ****  
  
Solera was talking to her friends Courtney and Jamie. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands found their way around her waist and came to rest under her windcheater on her stomach.  
  
"Tag, Liebe," a voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.  
  
Jamie and Courtney watched in shock.  
  
"Solera, Kio? Is there something you want to tell us?"  
  
"We'll give you one guess."  
  
"You guys are dating?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"No way!" Jamie squealed, causing Kio to put his hands over his ears.  
  
"Schieße! Are you always this loud!"  
  
"Oh, sorry Kio," Jamie apologised, "Wow Solera, you're gonna make the rest of the Year 10 girls jealous!"  
  
"Let them be," replied Kio, "I wouldn't leave Solera for any of those bitches." He placed his arms more securely around Solera's waist.  
  
Solera finally spoke. "Really? You like me that much, huh?"  
  
"No," Solera's face fell, but Kio continued, "I love you that much."  
  
Solera breathed a sigh of relief and lay her head back on his chest. "Now we need to get to class."  
  
  
  
They wandered down the crowded corridor, hand in hand, the guys giving Kio nods of acknowledgement, and the girls glaring at Solera. The glares promptly stopped when Kio threatened them mentally.  
  
"Keep calm, Kio."  
  
Kio's messy red hair was tied back, and it made him look much cuter. He had also take to wearing a yellow headband, and red-tinted sunglasses sat resting just above it. He had bought Solera a pair just like them, which she wore in the same fashion. Kio's regular attire consisted of black pants that were a little over-sized for the toned, muscular German boy, a white, black or blue shirt with the top button left undone, and the latest in guys' shoes. It was enough of an eye catch to make everyone realise that he had his own sense of style.  
  
Kio read the thoughts of everyone around him, and laughed at what they were thinking. With the girls, it was things like, "Oh my God, Kio looks hot!", "I can't believe Solera got him, the bitch!", and they were mostly trying to come up with plans to split the two up. With the guys, their thoughts were along the lines of, "I wonder where I can get clothes like Kio's?", and "Wow, he actually scored with Solera? She keeps turning me down!"  
  
He knew his power was dangerous, and if he used it to his full advantage, he could have people eating out of his hand, so to speak. But he wouldn't, at least, not if he thought it might hurt Solera.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mika and Jacob, Brad's parents, were discussing boarding schools. Since Brad was dead-set against going to Japan, Jacob told Mika about Rosenkreuz, a type of boarding school for psychic children.  
  
"We probably won't be able to see him as often as we like; Rosenkreuz is in Austria."  
  
Mika pondered this, then said, "Well, it's better than having an angry teenage boy on our hands. How did you find out about it?"  
  
"Gerhard Müller, Kio's father, who works in the same area as me, told me that Kio was a telepath, and he's going to send him there after his 16th birthday."  
  
Brad walked in and asked his parents what they were talking about.  
  
"Well," Jacob started, "your mother and I were discussing boarding schools. We thought that since you didn't want to come to Japan with us, then maybe you could go to Rosenkreuz, a school for psychics in Austria. It's run by Este, the people I work for."  
  
"I thought you worked for the government!"  
  
"I do, but it's a part that's never in the public eye."  
  
Brad sighed and said, "Fine, just as long as I don't have to go to Japan."  
  
Jacob was relieved, and said to the pilot, "Take us to Rosenkreuz first up."  
  
The pilot was a government official in his early 40's, named Reiji Takatori. He had two sons of his own, Masafumi and Hirofumi, who were about the same age as Brad.  
  
Takatori nodded, and the jet made its way to Austria.  
  
  
  
The jet landed on Rosenkreuz's private runway. Jacob had made Brad wear a suit and tie, and Brad was not comfortable in it.  
  
"But you need to make a good impression," Jacob reasoned.  
  
"Why? I'm just going to be wearing a uniform anyway," replied brad, seeing a couple of students walk past, expressionless. I wonder why they're like that, he thought, wondering if it was such a good idea to agree to come here.  
  
Inside, there were long, silent corridors. A man, presumably the headmaster, greeted them.  
  
"Mr and Mrs Crawford, Bradley, we've been expecting you. Welcome to Rosenkreuz, school for gifted psychics. I am Herr Brandt. Bradley, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your dorm."  
  
Brad hugged his parents goodbye, and said, "I'll write to you when I can."  
  
Jacob replied, "We'll reply when we can. Look after yourself, son."  
  
Mika was tearful as she kissed her son goodbye. Brad didn't mind, there was no-one around to tease him. He picked up his luggage, smiled sadly at his parents, and followed after the headmaster.  
  
"This is your dorm." Herr Brandt broke the silence as they stopped outside a dorm marked '18-6'. "The first two digits make up the dorm number, and the last digit is how many beds are in the dorm. At assembly every morning, quote the number and your ability to the teacher on duty to find out where you should sit. There are too many students in this place to just seat them anywhere. Telekinetics with telekinetics, empaths with empaths. Each child with their own kind."  
  
Brad let Herr Brandt ramble on about procedures and the classes he'd be in. He only half-listened, but he got the general gist of it. The headmaster finally left him to his own devices, but came back a couple of minutes later.  
  
"You have a telekinetic in your dorm. There was no room for him in the telekinetics' dorm. His name is Nagi and he is 9."  
  
Herr Brandt was interrupted by die Sicherheit(security) yelling, "Child 1217 is on the loose!"  
  
He began to help them get 'Child 1217' under control by floating him into a nearby wall. Brad winced at the brutality. Herr Brandt was a telekinetic, Level 15, the highest rank.  
  
"That's Jei Farfarello, age 14, resident psychopath."  
  
Brad turned to face a small boy. "You must be Nagi. I'm Brad."  
  
The boy, Nagi, nodded solemnly.  
  
Brad spoke again. "Why is Jei here if he's a psychopath?"  
  
"Rosenkreuz also doubles as a psychiatric hospital for out of control children."  
  
"Scary thought. By the way, are we the only two in the dorm?"  
  
"This dorm is for kids that they couldn't find room for in other dorms."  
  
Brad began to put some of his possessions in the cupboards provided, but stopped when he found a framed picture of him and Solera. It had been taken by Kio, who had accidentally put part of his thumb in the photograph, but not enough to cover the main subjects. Brad held back the tears that were threatening to fall, and caught Nagi staring at him.  
  
"Who's the girl?"  
  
"My best friend. I moved here from America, because my dad had business in Japan. I was originally going with them, but they changed their minds and I agreed to come here. Solera is my best friend, and now I won't be able to see her again, not for years anyway. To put it bluntly, I was in love with her, but I left it too late to do anything about it, and now she's with a guy called Kio Müller."  
  
He turned away from the small Japanese boy, and lay on his bed.  
  
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here, he thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
END CHAPTER TWO  
  
"Kio Müller" is a certain German's real name, according to my story, so don't take it as fact!  
  
  
  
  
  
What did you think of it? I need your reviews to help me improve it, if it's necessary.  
  
~BLUE SILHOUETTE~ 


	3. Notsosweet Sixteen: Part 1 reloaded

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
OH! And thankyou to Fifi for the review. I'm sorry it's a bit choppy in places, but I'm proud of this fic. Trust me, it gets better. It's just that this is my first go at a serious fic, and I'd like you to be patient.  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Three - Not-so-sweet Sixteen Part 1  
  
  
  
It was holiday time, and Kio's 16th birthday was coming up in a few weeks. He and Solera had been busy trying to plan a massive party. Then Kio got sick of planning, and decided that instead of the big party, they should go clubbing.  
  
"Boy, you seem to be forgetting that even at 16, you're still to young to get into any decent clubs!"  
  
"And Liebe, you seem to be forgetting that I'm a telepath. I can change any bouncer's mind," he replied.  
  
"Okay, but if we get into trouble, it's all your fault," Solera cautioned.  
  
"Stress gives you wrinkles. Relax," said Kio, pulling on the edge of Solera's windcheater, causing her to move closer to him.  
  
She removed her windcheater because the temperature in the room had suddenly risen. Underneath, she was wearing a blue top that left her shoulders bare. Kio ran his fingers lightly over her shoulders, and started to gently suck the skin on her neck. He could tell she was tense.  
  
// Relax. //  
  
His mental voice was almost hypnotizing, and she immediately obeyed as Kio kissed her passionately. Their fingers were entwined as they stood closer to each other. They were in Kio's room. Solera let herself be led over to the bed.  
  
"Would you like a back massage?" Kio asked, and Solera nodded.  
  
Her back had been sore for the past few days. Kio's dad wasn't going to be home for a couple of days, so he had free-run of the house. Solera's top could be tied at the back, and she had a skin-coloured strapless bra on.  
  
"Lay face down on the bed."  
  
Solera obeyed. Then Kio asked her if he could undo her top and bra so he could give her proper massage, and she said okay. Kio sat one leg either side of her, propping himself up on his heels and began kneading her back with the palms of his hands, softly at first, but getting firmer as he progressed. Solera was vulnerable like this, and Kio's mind and body were fighting against each other. He knew she trusted him, but this was almost too much for him. He managed to control himself long enough to finish the massage and allow Solera to dress herself again. Before Solera could blink twice, Kio pushed her back down on the bed, lay on top of her, but not enough to squash her, and kissed her, massaging her tongue with his. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, causing him to deepen the kiss. Kio's chest was bare, and Solera's hands moved from his hair to his chest and stomach. His stomach was firm and muscular, and she loved the feel of it against hers.  
  
// Kio, I'm not ready to do anything more than this. //  
  
// Then I won't force you. I love you too much. //  
  
Solera looked into his eyes, and could see how serious he was. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
  
  
Solera was staying the night at Kio's. She slept in his bed while he slept on the floor. After trying to sleep for a few hours, she decided she was lonely. Kio moved over to make room for her in his 'bed', and she lay there next to him, her head on his chest. They slept peacefully for the rest of the night.  
  
  
  
On the day of Kio's birthday, they decided to go to a club called "The Blue Fox".  
  
"Look, it has a DJ, an occasional live band, and plenty of dancing space!" exclaimed Solera excitedly, knowing of her boyfriend's love of dancing.  
  
Courtney, Jamie and their dates, Mark and Josh, asked if they could come along.  
  
"Of course! The more, the merrier!" replied Kio.  
  
Courtney hugged him, "Thanks!"  
  
"That's okay," Kio laughed, struggling to keep his balance.  
  
Josh said to him, "Thanks Kio, we owe you one."  
  
"Anything to keep my friends happy."  
  
"What should we wear?" Jamie asked Solera.  
  
"What you would normally wear if you were going out," she replied. "This is going to be fun. We'll meet at the club at 7pm."  
  
  
  
At the club, Kio and Solera waited for Courtney, Mark, Josh and Jamie.  
  
"Hi guys, sorry we're a bit late."  
  
"That's alright," Kio replied, "ready to go in?"  
  
"Are we ever!"  
  
Kio went in first. The bouncer was about to ask for ID, but hesitated and let the 6 of them in.  
  
// Good on ya, Kio! //  
  
// Thankyou. //  
  
Kio put his arm around Solera's waist. He was dressed in black leather pants, a black shirt, and his trademark sunnies and headband, and Solera was wearing white flared pants and a white boobtube top. They were the perfect contrast: Solera, pure and innocent, and Kio, stained and guilty. (A/N: All you Weiss fans out there know what I mean by this. Those of you who don't, keep reading for the explanation. It's further into the chapter.) They found a table, but Kio didn't want to sit down just yet.  
  
"Solera! Let's dance!" he shouted, trying to compete with the loud music.  
  
He grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. They danced for 3 hours straight (A/N: I couldn't last one hour, let alone three), then sat exhausted at their table, and Kio ordered drinks. The others seemed to be having fun elsewhere.  
  
"I've gotta go to the bathroom, Kio. I'll be back in a sec." Solera kissed him, and disappeared in to the crowd.  
  
On her way back to the table, Solera was cornered by three drunk guys.  
  
"Hey, baby," one of them slurred, "You lookin' for some fun?"  
  
"Um, no thanks."  
  
She tried to walk away, but was stopped by another guy, who said, "Well we are, and you're perfect for what we have in mind."  
  
The third guy was trying to kiss her.  
  
// KIO!! // she screamed in her mind, hoping he could hear, // HELP ME!! //  
  
This was where Kio's other ability, super speed, came in handy. // Hold on, I'm coming! //  
  
He was slightly smaller than the three men, but to him, it wasn't a problem. // Hey, assholes! // he yelled mentally, giving them one hell of a shock, // LEAVE MY GIRL ALONE! //  
  
"Don't you know that it's polite to share?" asked one of the men, attempting to punch Kio, who dodged it and replied, "Not in this instance!" He gave them a mental blast that sent them sprawling in agony.  
  
"Kio!" Solera hugged him, "I'm sorry to sound like a party pooper, but could we go now?"  
  
"Too much excitement for one day, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that."  
  
"Okay. I'll call the others when we get out of here."  
  
Kio didn't have to call them, because they were waiting outside for Kio and Solera.  
  
"Why are you out so early?" asked Kio.  
  
Josh replied, "The girls wanted to go home. Apparently, drunk guys were hitting on them."  
  
"Same here. I had to attack them to make them leave Solera alone!"  
  
"Let's go home, Kio," said Solera, so they said goodbye to the others, and went back to Kio's house.  
  
Solera was staying over at Kio's again, but this time Kio's father, Gerhard, was home. Gerhard was seemingly kind, and treated Solera like his own child. Sometimes Solera even called him "Vati" because he was like a father to her, despite her love for her own biological parents.  
  
They snuck into the quiet house, and were about to run into Kio's room when a voice said, "You can sleep in the same room as long as you're in different beds!"  
  
Kio sighed and said, "Ja, Vati," and closed the door. Nothing more was heard.  
  
  
  
At 10:30 in the morning, Kio and Solera stumbled out to the kitchen for breakfast. They were already dressed.  
  
"Kio, I'm glad you're awake. I have some news-"  
  
"We're moving to JAPAN?! WHY?!" exclaimed Kio, having already read his father's mind.  
  
"Well, I'm moving to Japan. You, on the other hand, are going to Austria. There's a school there for psychics, called Rosenkreuz. It's operated by Este, the people I work for."  
  
"Let me guess, they're the part of the government that's never in the public eye," Kio said, scowling.  
  
Gerhard nodded. Solera began to cry. She couldn't help it. 2 guys she liked, both moved out of her life in the space of less than a year.  
  
Kio got up, put an arm around her, and took her into the living room. "Liebe, you have no idea how much I want to stay. I wish I could take you with be, but.." he faltered for a moment, "but they won't except you, you're not psychic!"  
  
The word 'devastated' couldn't even begin to describe how Solera felt. "I swear, this is a curse! Why does this have to happen to me? Why?!" She began sobbing uncontrollably, then Kio lifted her chin up, and kissed her passionately and lovingly.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, Kinder," said Gerhard, "but Kio, we have to be at the airport by 12. Your things are already packed."  
  
Kio stared in complete disbelief. He hadn't noticed all the boxes in his room last night. "What?! You mean I've only got an hour to say goodbye to my girlfriend?! You have got to be kidding!"  
  
"I wish I was, but Este want us there as soon as possible."  
  
"Screw Este! Solera's more important to me than some stupid business trip!"  
  
"That's enough, Junge!"  
  
"No it's not! You're trying to take me away from the only girl I've ever loved! How the hell am I supposed to feel?!"  
  
"I SAID, THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Gerhard hit Kio hard across the face.  
  
Solera sat in shock, then she got up, grabbed Kio's hand and dragged him out the door. "We have to run, Kio! To keep you away from that ASSHOLE you call a father!" Solera's house was just around the corner. The two teenagers ran in the direction of the house, and stooped to catch their breath when the got inside. Solera's parents weren't home right at the time she needed them most. She hugged Kio tightly.  
  
Just then, two men burst into the house and grabbed Kio by the arms.  
  
"LET HIM GO!!" shouted Solera.  
  
The men dragged Kio to the car, and shoved him in. Solera was powerless to do anything.  
  
As the car drove off, Kio leaned out the window and yelled, "SOLERA! I LOVE YOU!!"  
  
"I LOVE YOU TOO!" she yelled back, eyes full of tears. She ran after the car for about a block, then fell to her knees. "Kio, come back," she whispered, hoping it was all just a nightmare.  
  
When she got home, she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep like she did 10 months ago.  
  
  
  
  
  
Angsty, ne?  
  
A/N: REVIEWS WOULD BE WONDERFUL RIGHT ABOUT NOW...*puppy dog eyes*  
  
The second part of Chapter 3 is coming very soon, I just didn't want you all to get mad at the long chappy..-____-;  
  
You'll have to bare with me, I still have to type up the rest.  
  
Thanx to all who have reviewed, I appreciate it.^_^  
  
Remember, reviews make me happy!  
  
~Blue Silhouette~  
  
  
  
--Property of Happy Farm Mental Institution. If found, please return.-- 


	4. Notsosweet Sixteen: Part 2

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Three - Not-so-sweet Sixteen Part 2  
  
  
  
Kio's plane landed at Rosenkreuz. He had already scanned Herr Brandt's mind, so he knew the drill by the time he reached the dorm.  
  
"There are two others in the dorm, Nagi, a young telekinetic, and Brad, a pre-cog about your age," Herr Brandt finished off.  
  
Kio did a double-take. "Brad, as in Bradley Crawford?"  
  
"Why yes, I believe so."  
  
"Scheiße!"  
  
"And you, Kio Müller, would do well to hold your tongue!"  
  
"Entschuldigung, Herr Brandt."  
  
Herr Brandt opened the door, and Kio walked inside. He got a polite "Konnichiwa" from Nagi, and a long, hard stare from Brad.  
  
"You," Brad started, "You took the girl I loved away from me!"  
  
Kio snorted, "I'm in the same position as you! I was PHYSICALLY DRAGGED away from her, and by my FATHER'S MEN as well!"  
  
"Why are you here, exactly?"  
  
"Vati had to go to Japan, something about Este wanting him there. I was shipped out here because I'm a telepath and he can't handle me."  
  
The conversation was interrupted by the cry, "Child 1217 is on the loose again!"  
  
Nagi could see that Kio was going to ask, and said, "Jei Farfarello, 15, psychopath extraordinaire."  
  
"..Okay, I won't ask. Anyway, how do they treat you here?"  
  
Brad lifted up his shirt so Kio could see the scars on his back.  
  
"What the hell did you do to deserve that?!"  
  
"They think I'm too smart for my own good," he sneered, "Here, if you don't do what you're told, you're beaten into submission by Brandt and die Sicherheit."  
  
"Ah, I see you've learnt some German, ja?"  
  
"Not by choice. And the bastards won't let us outside the gates either! It's like a prison!"  
  
Kio's mind was ticking over. He had only been there for 20 minutes, and already he despised the place.  
  
"Forget it, Schuldig, chance of escape is virtually nil. Believe me, I've tried," said Brad, recognising the look on the German's face as thought.  
  
"What did you call me?" asked Kio.  
  
"Schuldig. You are guilty of taking Solera from me, which ever way you put it."  
  
Kio was about to protest, but instead he said, "Schuldig..Has a nice ring to it. Call me that from now on. I don't mind it. So, what do I call you? Bradley, Brad, Braddie, Crawford maybe?"  
  
"How about Crawford? It suits you, I think," Nagi said to Brad.  
  
"Fine with me," he replied.  
  
They were interrupted yet again by 'Child 1217', who ran through the open door and slammed it behind him. "This..does not..hurt God," he stated, panting for breath.  
  
10 year old Nagi eyed the insane one warily, questioning whether or not floating Jei into the wall was for his own good or not. He decided against it. Maybe mistreatment was what turned him insane in the first place. Jei sunk down to the floor and began to carve his name into it.  
  
"Brandt will be pretty pissed off if he catches you, Farfarello."  
  
'Farfarello' stopped carving and looked up. "What do ye care, pretty-boy?" he said in a thick Irish accent.  
  
"I don't," Brad replied coldly.  
  
Kio said, "Solera would not have liked this side of you, mein Führer."  
  
"Trust me, she's seen this side of me...Did you just call me, 'mein Führer'?"  
  
"Yes, I did. It means 'leader'. You're always bossing people around, the perfect leader."  
  
"I don't boss people around!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
Crawford lost his temper and pushed Schuldig to the ground, fist poised just above his face. Schuldig had a flashback to the day before, curled up into the foetal position and whimpered. Crawford was surprised, and he let Schuldig get up.  
  
"What happened to you? A year ago you where starting fights and winning, now you're scared shitless of anyone who looks like they're going to hit you! What happened?"  
  
"It doesn't matter." Schuldig pulled his knees up under his chin, not particularly wanting to say that it almost put Solera in danger.  
  
  
  
It was evening, and Schuldig was bored. "I'm getting out of here." He looked at the others, Herr Brandt still hadn't found Jei. "Coming with me?" Nagi and Farfarello got up immediately and crossed over to where Schuldig was. "Crawford?"  
  
Brad sighed and said, "Only because I know you'll get into trouble. I just want to grab a few thing first." He grabbed a wad of money and the picture of Solera. "Okay, follow me..On second thought, Farfarello, would you be able to create a distraction for us? Just to give us enough time to sneak past the Sicherheit."  
  
Farfarello nodded.  
  
"Okay, we'll meet you out the front in 20 minutes."  
  
Farfarello ran out the door, laughing maniacally, causing the cry "Child 1217!" to echo throughout the school. Crawford and the other two ran towards a secret passage that Crawford had seen the Sicherheit use. They got there unnoticed, and Crawford kicked a part of the wall and it moved aside, revealing a secret passage.  
  
"Now, this should take us outside the school gates. Come on," he said.  
  
Just as they got outside the gates, they heard the shout, "Dorm 18-6 is empty!"  
  
Farfarello was waiting for the others. "What took you so long?"  
  
"Shut up, Beserker!" was all Crawford could come up with when he noticed the grin on the Irish boy's face.  
  
Suddenly, a lone security guard came through the same door the mismatched group had just came through. Nagi saw him.  
  
"Run!" he yelled.  
  
They started to run, and the guard followed. They ran for 15 minutes before they finally lost him, and Crawford collapsed, worn out. Schuldig looked around, and noticed they were in a field filled with planes of all shapes and sizes. There was a cabin in the centre with a dim light coming from it, and a man in the cabin.  
  
"I have an idea," he announced proudly.  
  
Crawford reluctantly let him put his plan into action, and before they knew it, they were on their way to Japan.  
  
"What's the first thing you want to do when we get there, Schuldig?" asked Crawford.  
  
"Get revenge," came the answer.  
  
"On..?"  
  
"Este and my father."  
  
"I only want revenge on Este." Brad was greeted by a puzzled look. "Apparently, my father and your father work for the same people. What I've learned about Este is that they employ psychics to become assassins."  
  
"Assassins, hey? I'd like to become an assassin, then I could use my mind control to full capacity."  
  
"Well, instead of destroying Este, maybe we should see if they'll take us on. I mean, we have nowhere to go."  
  
They were all agreed by the time the arrived in Japan.  
  
"The new life starts now," said Nagi.  
  
  
  
Gah! Joining Este? *faints*  
  
10 MINUTES LATER  
  
Sorry about that.  
  
Anyway, I hope you like the story so far. I apologise for taking my time in typing this up, and I'm also sorry about me being lazy and not posting up chapters for "Insanity in the world of WEISS". I just keep coming up with ideas, which explains the one-shot fics.  
  
Reviews accepted, flames ignored, chocolate chip cookies appreciated. I promise I'll share!  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	5. Weiss, who?

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Four- Weiss, who?  
  
  
  
Solera was 21. Everyday, she had been of her friends that were taken from her 6 years ago. The name 'Este' kept coming up in her mind, but she ignored it. It was government stuff, and she wanted to stay away from it, as far away as possible, but she also wanted to see Kio and Brad. Her parents had died in a car crash 3 years ago, so Solera was living with her grandparents. She had told them that she wanted to move to Japan to start a new life, and they supported her and gave her the money to get there. She had planned to stay with a friend who lived there already.  
  
Now she was on a plane, just about to land in Tokyo, hoping like hell it was the right thing to do.  
  
  
  
Solera arrived at her friend's house.  
  
"Akiko! I'm here!"  
  
A Japanese woman, the same age as Solera, hugged her tightly. "So good to see you, Solera."  
  
Solera smiled at her. "Same here."  
  
"Your room is this way."  
  
"Thankyou," she said gratefully, "it was a long flight." She put her bag in her room and told Akiko she was going for a walk.  
  
"Be careful, Solera-san. It's dangerous at night."  
  
"I'll be fine, but thanks for your concern." She walked out the door.  
  
  
  
She had been wandering around aimlessly for over an hour, when she heard gunshots and shouting coming from the abandoned building around the corner from Akiko's place. She ran to the building and hid in the shadows. Four extremely good-looking guys were fighting 4 other guys who appeared to have shot a woman that looked familiar to Solera. The tall one with the wire looked angry, and within a few seconds, he had killed the guy he was fighting.  
  
"No woman should die!" he yelled.  
  
The other 3 made quick work of 2 of the other guys, but one of the evil guys spotted Solera. She didn't see him coming and was knocked unconscious.  
  
  
  
"Ow! My head hurts!"  
  
Solera looked up as a boy, about 17, who had the appearance of a 12 year old, was cleaning her wounds.  
  
"Keep still," he said.  
  
"Where am I? Who are you?" She then recognised the tall guy as the guy with the wire from the night before. "Oh..my....God." she said slowly as it all sunk in. "You..you guys were fighting other guys who had killed some woman! What do you want from me?" She appeared frightened. Then she saw a woman with red hair come into the room.  
  
"How is she?" the strange woman asked.  
  
"Well," started the boy, "she got a few cuts and bruises and she's slightly concussed, but other than that, she's fine."  
  
"What's your name?" the woman asked her.  
  
"Sol..Solera."  
  
"Well, Solera, because you've seen what these boys are capable of, we're afraid we can't let you go anywhere."  
  
"Huh? Why not?!"  
  
"We are assassins, employed by Kritiker, and we deal with cases even the police can't handle," said the one with eartails, "so, it's either you stay here, or someone on the outside finds you, interrogates you, then kills you."  
  
"Introductions, please!" said Solera, feeling braver, "If I'm going to be staying here, I need to know who I'm staying with and what part I play in this whole thing."  
  
The strange woman made the introductions. "I'm Manx, this is Omi," she pointed to the young, genki one, "Aya," she motioned to the one with eartails, "Ken," the one bouncing a soccer ball on his knees waved, "and Yohji," The guy with the wire, who she had been admiring, smiled at her. "Come with me and I'll fill you in on the details."  
  
Solera followed Manx out of the room, and Yohji's eyes followed Solera. "Now, she is definitely over 18!"  
  
"Yohji-kun!" Omi scolded, "No hitting on the only female member of Weiss!"  
  
"Ah, but if I was with her, I wouldn't have to worry about telling her my profession, would I? And I can think of creative ways to use my wire, too..."  
  
"Is that the only thing you think about?" said Aya in a disgusted tone.  
  
"Besides eating, sleeping, missions, the Koneko and clubbing, yep!"  
  
Ken hit Yohji on the back of the head with his soccer ball, "I had my eye on her first!"  
  
"Don't make me kill you!"  
  
"Do you think you could catch me?"  
  
"Grr..."  
  
"Enough, you two!" Aya glared at them both. Yohji grinned sheepishly and Ken kicked at a raised floor tile. "That's better." Aya made himself a cup of coffee.  
  
  
  
2 long hours later, Manx entered the room again.  
  
"I've filled Solera in on all your backgrounds, got her a whole new wardrobe, all the trivial things a girl needs, makeup, etc.," Manx gave Solera an understanding nod, "and now I would like to present to you the newest member of Weiss, Solera, codename Bengal." She stepped aside to reveal Solera, wearing black leather pants that hugged her hips and a long- sleeved black top that bared her midriff, black fingerless gloves, and a long black overcoat with a white cross on the back. Her hair was out, hanging down past her shoulders, and she wore knee-high black boots.  
  
Everyone, except for Omi and Manx, stared with their mouths open. Omi had to physically close them, but the moment he let go, they dropped open again.  
  
Omi beamed, "I think they're suitably impressed."  
  
Aya composed himself long enough to ask, "Does she have any weapons experience?"  
  
Manx laughed, "Does she ever! She's skilled in martial arts, kendo, and she's a top computer hacker."  
  
It was too much for Yohji and he fainted. Manx rolled her eyes, "I figured that would be his reaction."  
  
Solera nearly fell over laughing, Ken had to hold her upright.  
  
Aya looked at her and said, "You, me, training room, now."  
  
"Okay, katanas or kendo sticks?"  
  
"Katanas."  
  
"Give me a couple of minutes. I'll be up soon."  
  
Solera threw her boots off and went upstairs. Ken asked her something, and she said okay.  
  
"I think Aya likes her," Omi whispered to Manx.  
  
"Only time will tell, Omi-kun."  
  
  
  
Yohji finally woke up, he'd been out of it for an hour. "Where's Solera?" he asked.  
  
"Upstairs training with Aya, but.." Omi didn't get to finish, Yohji had already raced upstairs, yelling, "Let me train with you guys!"  
  
  
  
Aya appeared to be winning the battle Solera had challenged him to, until Solera kicked his katana out of his hand, leaving him weaponless.  
  
"I guess that makes me the victor then."  
  
She was greeted with a glare.  
  
"Aww, come on Aya! It was one lousy battle! Don't be mad."  
  
Aya walked over to the other side of the room and began practising his technique.  
  
"Hi," said a gentle voice, as an arm draped itself around Solera's shoulders.  
  
"Yohji-kun!"  
  
His jade green eyes reminded Solera of Kio's, mischievous with a hint of seriousness in them.  
  
"You intrigue me, how do you know so much Japanese, when you clearly have no heritage?"  
  
"Are you playing dumb, Yohji? Didn't you learn other languages when you were in school?" Solera seemed annoyed with the blonde.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound stupid."  
  
"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to make you feel stupid, it's just I'm not exactly in the best of moods at the moment, it turns out that the woman that was killed last night was my friend I was staying with, Akiko Yamagatchi. I've only been here a day and a bit. I didn't expect it to happen, that's all."  
  
"Well, if you need to talk, my room's across the hall from yours. Of course, if you want to stay in my room, you can do that too."  
  
"Playboy," she said, and Yohji smiled.  
  
"I see you've noticed."  
  
"It wasn't hard. You've been flirting with me since I woke up, and you've had your shirt off for the same amount of time, which, according to Aya, you don't normally do."  
  
"The icicle had a proper conversation with you?!" Yohji was stunned.  
  
"Yeah, doesn't he talk to you?"  
  
"Nah, he's usually brooding over his sister who's in a coma, because of our rival's boss Reiji Takatori."  
  
"Well, he didn't mind talking to me about it."  
  
"Shut up, you're ruining my concentration, and STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!" yelled Aya from across the room.  
  
"Alright, we're going," sighed Yohji, "Bengal, would you like a cup of coffee?"  
  
"Yes, thanks."  
  
  
  
Yohji found himself telling Solera things he hadn't told the others. She was easygoing and wasn't constantly flirting with him. He liked that about her. Solera looked at her watch.  
  
"Oh, Yohji-kun, I've gotta go find Ken. I promised that I'd watch him do tricks on his motorbike."  
  
"I'll come. I've got nothing better to do."  
  
Solera grabbed his hand and they went outside.  
  
  
  
"Ken!"  
  
Ken turned around and saw Yohji and Solera waving at him.  
  
"You ready?" Solera asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Ken put on his motorbike helmet and rode towards the ramp leading to Aya's car. The bike flew over the car, landing safely on the other side.  
  
"Wow!" said Yohji, impressed. Solera hugged him and said, "Mind if I have a shot?"  
  
"Not at all. Just be careful, and don't hurt the bike."  
  
"Don't worry, I've done this before."  
  
Ken handed her the helmet. She put it on, and sat on the bike. Starting it up, she rode towards the ramp leading up to Aya's car like Ken did, but instead of just jumping over the car, the bike did a backflip in the air before landing on the ramp on the other side. Yohji and Ken watched in shock, as did Aya and Omi, who had been watching from the window.  
  
"Why couldn't you use Kudou's car instead of mine?!" Aya yelled.  
  
"Get over it!" Solera yelled back, "It's not damaged, so stop complaining!"  
  
Aya wasn't quite sure how to react, so he retreated from the window, and walked over to the punching bag he kept for such occasions as this.  
  
Ken finally spoke, "Oh my God, wait till Manx finds out about this!"  
  
Solera handed the helmet to Ken. "If anyone want's me, I'll be in my room," she said, smiling at the reactions she got from the four boys.  
  
  
  
There was a knock on Aya's door. "Aya? It's me, Omi."  
  
"Come in," came the gruff reply.  
  
Omi went in, sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "What do you think of Solera?"  
  
There was a long silence, before Aya replied with, "I think she's a smart- mouthed bitch, but I can't help liking her. She may be just what this team needs; She seems to be able to do everything we can do, and more. And.." Aya realised he had just revealed a bit more of his feelings than he had intended to, and went quiet, shooing Omi out of the room.  
  
Omi went to Solera's room. Her door was open and she noticed him standing in the doorway.  
  
"Come in, chibi."  
  
Her voice was shaky, and she looked like she had been crying. Omi thought that now was not the time to mention that she had been hanging around Yohji too long.  
  
"Are you okay, Solera?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
Omi noticed the picture in her hand. "Who are they?"  
  
"They're the reason I came to Japan. They were my best friends, Brad," she pointed to the one with blackish brown hair, "and Kio," she pointed to the one with fiery red hair, wearing a headband and sunglasses.  
  
Omi's heart fluttered when he saw the two boys in the photograph. Could they be...No, it was impossible. This girl could NOT be in any way connected with Schwarz. Omi decided that the boys in the photo were different boys that only looked like Crawford and Schuldig, but were NOT Crawford and Schuldig.  
  
Solera continued, "Their fathers worked for the government, if I remember correctly, and Brad moved here six years ago. Kio went to Austria five years ago to a school for gifted psychics, but I have a feeling that he may have come here after that."  
  
"Did you say, a school for gifted psychics?" asked Omi, desperately hoping that he was right about the 'boys' in the photo not being connected with Schwarz.  
  
"Yeah, Rosenkreuz, I think it's called. Kio was a telepath, that's why he was there."  
  
"Gomen, Solera-san, I have to do something. I'll see you at dinner." Omi rushed out of the room.  
  
Solera shrugged and went back to looking at the picture.  
  
  
  
"Weiss have a new member? That's not what I wanted to know!" Crawford's precognition was getting him extremely frustrated, almost to the point of tearing out his perfectly gelled hair.  
  
"Hang on, did you just say the Weiss kittens have a new member?" asked Schuldig, unsure of what was just said.  
  
"Yeah, Bengal, or something. Female, just turned 21."  
  
Schuldig smirked, picking at his nails, "Shall I add her to my list of conquests?"  
  
"Not unless you want to leave with a few broken ribs. She's a martial arts expert, not to mention her skill with a katana."  
  
Schuldig scanned Crawford's brain, "Sehr schoen..I wonder if I can coax her into joining us?"  
  
Crawford's voice was stern, "My answer is the same as before, Schuldig. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you if you come back here with things broken."  
  
"I'm not going to go easy on her just because I think she's attractive, although that'll make it more fun. She is, after all, part of Weiss..." Schuldig trailed off, deep in thought.  
  
Crawford was looking at the picture of Solera, taken the day he left America. Solera looked surprisingly like the new Weiss member. No, she's forgotten about us, he thought, it wouldn't be her, she's a pacifist.  
  
A loud chuckle interrupted his thoughts, and a nasal German voice said, "Ha! You think Solera's the new member? That's crazy!"  
  
"Can I play with the new Weiss kitten?" asked Farfarello, sharpening his favourite knife.  
  
"In time, Beserker, in time," replied Schuldig, ruffling Farf's hair, "I get to first."  
  
Crawford looked strangely uneasy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Crawford? Uneasy? Oy vey..  
  
Will Schuldig convince Solera to come over to the dark side? Will Yohji convince Solera to sleep with him? Will Farf get to play? And the question that plagues us all... Will I get my hair cut before I go back to school in 2 weeks?  
  
Well, maybe that last one was just me..^_^;  
  
  
  
Reviews accepted, flames ignored, chocolate chip cookies appreciated. I promise I'll share!  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	6. A shock to the system

FIRE AND ICE  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Weiss Kreuz, but I own Solera, Mr Adams, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, Jacob, Mika, Gerhard, Herr Brandt, die Sicherheit, and any other characters that aren't from the show.  
  
*sigh* I knew I should have bid higher.  
  
CRAWFORD IS MINE!!!!!!!!!! *evil laugh* *is smacked in the back of the head by some unknown force* SCHULDIG! IF THAT WAS YOU, YOU'RE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!  
  
On with the story....  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Five- A shock to the system  
  
  
  
"So, chibi, you're saying that Solera, Crawford and Schuldig were all friends at one stage, until Schuldig and Crawford's fathers had business in Japan, and that Solera came all the way here from America to track them down?"  
  
Omi nodded at Yohji. "But she hasn't contacted them for six years, so there's a very good chance she doesn't know her friends are sadistic and cruel."  
  
Aya was asleep on the sofa. Every few minutes, he'd say something like, "Shi-ne Takatori," "You'll wake up soon, Aya-chan," and "Solera, why are you such a bitch?"  
  
"Aya thinks Solera's a bitch? Strange," said Ken, amused.  
  
"Well I, for one, think she's terrific," announced Yohji.  
  
Omi couldn't help himself and said, "Only because you've been trying to crack onto her since she woke up!"  
  
Yohji looked offended. "Bite your tongue!"  
  
"I think she brings out the worst in you."  
  
Omi, Ken and Yohji turned in the direction of the voice. "Manx!"  
  
Aya was still on the sofa, snoring.  
  
"Look, I know it's only been 24 hours, but I came to see if Solera's still sane. You guys, especially you, Yohji, can be a bit of a handful at times."  
  
Yohji pouted, "You don't mean that," he purred.  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Ouch! And the ref takes a point!"  
  
"Ken! No soccer references while we're in earshot!"  
  
"Sorry, Omi."  
  
"Anyway," Manx continued, "you boys have a new mission. Ken, go and get Solera."  
  
At the mention of 'mission', Aya was wide-awake. Ken disappeared upstairs to Solera's room.  
  
"Solera, we have a mission!"  
  
"I'll be down in a sec!" she called back.  
  
Soon Solera was sitting on the sofa next to Aya still wearing her PJs. She smiled at Aya and he couldn't help but smile back. No one else saw it. Manx loaded the videotape into the VCR and pressed 'play'. Persia appeared on the screen.  
  
"Weiss, I have a mission for you. Lately there have been a series of kidnappings across Tokyo. The kidnappers have been asking obscene amounts of money for the girls kidnapped, and only giving the girls' parents a few hours to come up with the money. Your job is to rescue the girls and put an end to this. Hunters of the night, deny these dark beasts their tomorrows."  
  
The video stopped, and Manx removed the videotape. "So, are you all in?"  
  
"Yeah!" they all said in unison, except for Aya, who said, "Hn."  
  
"Okay, Solera, this is your chance to show what you can do."  
  
"Arigatou Manx. I never thought I'd be involved in something like this. I always vowed I'd never take a government job."  
  
"I'm glad you did," Yohji said softly, reaching over to take Solera's hand in his own.  
  
"Only by accident," she replied, equally as softly, and went upstairs to change.  
  
"Yohji, if you hurt her, I'll never forgive you," said Manx sternly.  
  
"What? We're not even together yet! Am I really that bad?" He was greeted with a nod from the others. "Hmph, I'll show you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," said Ken, waving him away.  
  
But not 5 minutes had passed, and Yohji had forgotten what he said.  
  
  
  
Solera was ready for the mission around 10pm, so she decided to use the extra time to brush up on her taekwondo skills in the training room. Yohji followed her and watched from the doorway. He was fairly skilled in hand-to- hand combat himself.  
  
"Mind if I train with you?"  
  
The smooth voice startled Solera a little, but she replied with, "Okay, but don't worry about going easy on me, I know how to handle myself."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
Yohji took his boots off. They bowed to each other, then proceeded to circle the mat a few times. When Yohji copped a kick in the stomach, he made his move and tackled Solera, making them both fall on the mat.  
  
"Baka! Taekwondo, not wrestling!"  
  
"I know." Yohji smirked.  
  
"You nearly winded me!"  
  
"Hey! You kicked me in the stomach! Don't you think you may have injured me?"  
  
"You're a guy, you can handle it."  
  
Solera tried to get up, but Yohji had her pinned to the mat. He brought his face closer to hers. She didn't object; she welcomed the closeness. He kissed her gently on the lips, and freed her arms from his grip. Solera sat up and put her arms around Yohji's neck. He was just as surprised as she was, and responded in the same way, holding her close. She kissed him this time, and was a bit more dominating than Yohji had been. His gentleness reminded Solera so much of Kio that she began to cry. It brought back memories and made her more determined to find him. Yohji felt her tears on his own face, and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. She was grateful for the comfort he offered, and she knew in her heart she could count on him. The kiss they shared, nothing more than a release of pent-up frustration. Yohji was glad to be on the receiving end, but knew somehow she didn't want to be his lover.  
  
They had been sitting on the mat, hugging for at least half an hour, when Omi came in to see how their training was going. He was about to say something, but Yohji mouthed, "I'll tell you later."  
  
"Okay," he mouthed back, "you've got 20 minutes."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Omi closed the door behind him as he left, and startled Solera, who looked around the room.  
  
"What was that?" she asked.  
  
"The wind," replied Yohji, brushing her hair out of her eyes.  
  
"Thanks for being here for me, Yo-tan."  
  
"That's okay. You made me realise some things about myself."  
  
"Oh yeah? Such as...?"  
  
"Such as, maybe I should have more female friends. I think I can safely say, you are my first." He smiled at her.  
  
"I'd say you were right. And, you've given me a reason to be happy again."  
  
"How?"  
  
"You're the perfect combination of Brad and Kio. I only wish I knew where they were."  
  
"Solera, I'm sure they're fine." Yohji helped her up and draped an arm around her.  
  
"I hope you're right, Yohji." They allowed for a moment's silence before Solera asked, "Should I tie my hair back, or leave it out?"  
  
Yohji thought about it, then said, "Leave it out. It gives you that mysterious don't-mess-with-me look. Plus, it'll give the target something nice to look at before they die."  
  
She gave him a playful punch.  
  
"Oh, and take your katana. That way, if Aya gets in trouble, we'll have a replacement katana-wielding maniac."  
  
"'Maniac' is about right!" said Solera, laughing.  
  
  
  
Downstairs, they were sorting out who should go in which vehicle.  
  
"I'll take Ken's motorbike and Omi, if that's okay with you, Ken!" Solera yelled from the bathroom. She was putting on some dark makeup, mainly eyeliner and mascara.  
  
"Come on, Omi-kun. Let's go!" she said, as she walked out to where the boys were.  
  
"Don't forget who you're following!" said Aya, slightly pissed off for no real reason.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for?"  
  
"Damn bossy woman," he muttered.  
  
"And proud of it!"  
  
"This conversation is going nowhere," said Omi, shaking his head, "Hurry up, we have a mission to do!"  
  
  
  
"Come on, Schuldig! Stop playing with your hair and get in your damn car!"  
  
"Stop nagging me, Bradley!" Schuldig whined, "I need to look good when I play with people's minds."  
  
"Do you really think Weiss will care about your looks?!" snapped Nagi uncharacteristically.  
  
"He's doing it to impress the new Weiss kitten," Farfarello said knowingly, making a neat gash on the lower part of his arm, watching the blood ooze out of it.  
  
Schuldig looked around at the strange scene and started laughing. "Mein Gott, we're so mismatched! Fate does have a sense of humour."  
  
Crawford looked fit to kill. "For the last time, GET IN THE DAMN CAR!!"  
  
"Fine, fine. You know, you really should get someone to remove the stick up your-"  
  
"SCHULDIG!!!"  
  
"Alright, I'm going. Come, Naggles."  
  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!" The telekinetic threatened to throw Schuldig in front of a speeding truck.  
  
  
  
10 long minutes later, Schuldig and Nagi were in Schuldig's car, and Crawford and Farfarello were in Crawford's car. Crawford was trying to concentrate on the road, and trying to stop Farf from stabbing the pure leather seats of his new Porsche at the same time, not an easy task. Then his car phone rang. It was Takatori.  
  
"Crawford, if tonight doesn't go to plan, I have picked out a new member for Schwarz. Female, 17, her name is Amber. Power, telekinesis. I thought she might be useful."  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
"Don't fail."  
  
The phone hung up on the other end of the line, and Crawford sighed. "Farfarello, I'm we get this new member, promise me you won't attack her."  
  
"I won't promise ye anything."  
  
Crawford sighed again. This was going to be a long night.  
  
  
  
Omi and Solera hopped off the motorbike and waited for the others. When the others arrived, a voice was heard from the darkness:  
  
"Thank you for coming. We hope you enjoy tonight's festivities..."  
  
Solera found herself fighting a man slightly older than her with dark hair, who was wearing a cream-coloured suit and glasses.  
  
"How can you fight in a suit?" she asked between punches.  
  
"Hmm, you're right, it is a bit restricting." Her opponent took of his jacket and tie, and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. "Continue."  
  
It was obvious to Solera that the man had done some boxing in his time. He ended up knocking her to the ground. She lay there for a few minutes, dazed, before her opponent picked her up and carried her to a place not far from where they were fighting.  
  
"What do you want from me?! Let go of-"  
  
Solera was interrupted by her opponent's mouth covering hers. She didn't have a chance to protest, because he then broke away.  
  
"Who the hell are you to kiss me without my permission?!" she yelled, outraged.  
  
The mystery man stepped into a dimly lit area so she could see what he looked like. "I was just doing what I should have done long before I was taken away."  
  
Solera's glare disappeared, and she gasped.  
  
"Brad?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Heh heh...  
  
Cliffhanger!  
  
What will happen next? I wonder...  
  
Anywayz, don't stop reading and reviewing ^-^  
  
Reviews accepted, flames ignored, chocolate chip cookies appreciated. I promise I'll share!  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	7. The past returns

DISCLAIMER: Normal disclaimers apply. If ya don't know the drill by now, you'll never know it! MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ^___^  
  
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)  
  
  
  
Chapter Six - The past returns  
  
  
  
"Brad?"  
  
Solera was unmistakably shocked. "Brad, why did you turned to..to this?"  
  
Crawford looked almost ashamed. "I had no choice."  
  
"You had no choice?! Bradley Crawford, you always have a choice in these thing! You kill innocent people for a living!"  
  
"Solera," he was close to tears, "I was forced into this."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"Este."  
  
That name again. "Who are they?"  
  
"The reason my mother and father moved to Japan."  
  
"You didn't go with them?"  
  
"No, I went to Austria instead. To Rosenkreuz.."  
  
"..School for gifted psychics?! That's where Kio went! I didn't know you were psychic! Why didn't you tell me?!"  
  
"I was going to, I didn't want you to find out like this."  
  
"What about Kio? Did you meet up with him?"  
  
"Yeah, but I hated him for a while."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm a pre-cog. I can see a little bit into the future, but it comes and goes, I can't control it. I saw Kio ask you out, and I was jealous. I was going to ask you out the day Kio came on the scene, but he seemed to hold your attention better than I could, and nervousness overwhelmed me, so I stayed silent. What happened at the airport was my way of saying how much you meant to me," he moved closer to Solera, "you still mean that much to me."  
  
Solera's legs gave out, it was too much for her. "Brad, can you take me back to Weiss?" she asked, voice shaky.  
  
"Alright Bengal."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Crawford carried her over to where Weiss were waiting. Yohji was about ready to strangle him with his wire.  
  
"No need, Balinese. She asked me to bring her back to you."  
  
Yohji was stunned, and so was Schuldig, who walked over to Crawford.  
  
"Err, shouldn't you be aiming your gun at them right about now?"  
  
"Not this time, Schuldig," Crawford replied quietly, handing Solera to Yohji, "not this time." He walked away, dragging Schuldig with him.  
  
Four blank stares followed the Schwarz members.  
  
"Well, that was weird, to say the least," said Ken, still stunned.  
  
Aya was holding another female in his arms, the only living victim they could find. The others either escaped or were dead.  
  
Yohji took charge. "Ken, you and Omi take the bike. Solera's in no condition to ride at the moment. Aya, you take the girl we rescued and call Manx. Tell her to meet us at home. I've got Solera." Aya, Ken and Omi nodded.  
  
  
  
"You failed, Crawford!"  
  
"Mr Takatori, they-"  
  
"They have an extra member, is that it? Well, you four are psychic, you have the advantage! Why did Este give me a bunch of misfits as bodyguards?"  
  
Crawford still couldn't believe that the man who piloted the plane that left him at the hellhole commonly known as Rosenkreuz, was now his boss, and a bastard at that. As he turned to walk away, Takatori said, "Amber will be at the base in 2 hours. It's your job to look after her."  
  
Oh great, he thought as he left the office, now I have to play baby-sitter to two teenage telekinetics. As it is, I have my hands full with Schuldig trying to invade my mind, and Farfarello trying to put holes in my furniture, claiming it "hurts God".  
  
  
  
Amber's arrival was far from pleasant. She took one look at Schuldig and laughed out loud.  
  
"You expect me to believe that Bozo over here is an assassin? It's far more believable that the chibi's one! What did they run out of positions for clowns at the circus?"  
  
// Crawford, can I strangle her? // asked the irate German.  
  
// No, Schuldig. I've been instructed by Takatori to look after her. //  
  
// Tough break. //  
  
// Keep Farfarello occupied so he doesn't attack her, or you can stay in his cell for a while, in one of his straightjackets. //  
  
// Touchy, aren't we? //  
  
// Shut up. //  
  
The Beserker eyed Amber suspiciously, playing with one of his knives. "Oh yes, ye would cause God much grief with this knife embedded deep in your body.."  
  
"Oookay Farf, we're gonna leave the bitch and Crawlie-chan alone to bond."  
  
Farfarello followed Schuldig obediently.  
  
Amber spoke again, "How can you be calm and composed with a psycho running free?! I mean, isn't it dangerous? What if he stabs someone, namely me?!"  
  
Crawford ignored her complaints and said, "Your room is upstairs, third door on the left."  
  
Amber glared at him, and went to inspect her room. Nagi was in his room on the computer. Finally, Crawford had some time to himself.  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
A loud scream sounded from Amber's room. No doubt Farfarello had left a 'welcome' gift for the unwelcome guest.  
  
"Crawford-san! There's a dead rat on my bed! Get it out of my room!!!"  
  
"You're a telekinetic; do it yourself! I am your leader, not your slave!"  
  
Grrr, Amber thought to herself, men are such pigs! "Fine then!" she shouted back, not the slightest bit happy with anything at the moment.  
  
Crawford sighed and took an aspirin. This was going to be a long morning.  
  
  
  
The girl Weiss had rescued was now resting on the couch, forcing Ken to sit on the floor to watch his soccer game on TV. Yohji was watching the girl sleep, a lustful look in his eyes.  
  
Solera saw this. "Uh-uh, Yotan. Remember what we discussed?"  
  
He looked guilty and replied with, "I'll open the shop then. Come, chibi!"  
  
"Don't call me that!" Omi snapped back, and followed Yohji out. The genki boy was frustrated by the night before. He wanted to know why Crawford didn't attack them. Solera's unwillingness to tell them what happened wasn't helping any either.  
  
When Aya saw that he and Solera were alone(Ken watching soccer didn't count; the TV had his full attention), he demanded that Solera tell him what went on.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you!" shouted Solera.  
  
"I need to know, Solera! I'm your leader!" Aya shouted back.  
  
"Back off, Aya! He brought me back to you uninjured, so why all the questions?! I can handle myself! Can't you see that? For crying out loud, I'm the same age as you, stop treating me like a little kid!" Solera stormed out of the apartment and down to the shop. Having a long-lost best friend on the rival team was more trouble than it was worth.  
  
Aya sighed and shook his head. "I can handle my 16 year old sister, I can even handle the schoolgirls at the shop, So why can't I handle my own team mate?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe you should try being tactful."  
  
Aya looked over at the sofa and saw the girl they had rescued the night before, sitting up and smiling at him.  
  
"Oh, you're awake. I'll tell the others."  
  
Aya ran down to the flower shop and called for Yohji and Omi. The schoolgirls saw Aya and squealed with delight. Aya's eyes widened at the mass of schoolgirls coming towards him, and he bolted for the door that led back up to the apartment.  
  
Maybe I can't handle the schoolgirls, Aya thought.  
  
Omi and Yohji went up to the apartment as soon as the last girl had been kicked out of the shop. Solera avoided Aya completely, and Ken began a conversation with the girl.  
  
"So, what's your name?" he asked.  
  
"Taia," the girl answered, unfazed that she was in a house with 5 complete strangers(to her, anyway). "What happened to me?"  
  
Yohji opted for partial truth. "We found you in an abandoned warehouse. You were pretty beat up. Do you remember why you were there?"  
  
Taia strained to remember even part of the night before. She'd been out of it for about 12 hours. "I.I remember a guy with an eyepatch a.and a knife. He said, 'You must be destroyed; God will cry!'" she pointed to a large gash in her leg, "then a guy with red hair and a thick foreign accent tried to force me to kiss him. I refused, and a boy slammed me repeatedly into a wall without using his hands and I passed out."  
  
Solera winced and thought, the boy must be a telekinetic. "Taia, do you have anywhere to go?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I live with my grandfather. He couldn't pay the ransom; he barely makes enough to support the both of us."  
  
Then Aya said something that surprised the other four. "If you like, you can help Momoe-san in the flower shop the times we can't be there. We'll pay you for the work you do, so you'll have more money to support yourself and your grandfather."  
  
"Arigato.uh."  
  
"Aya."  
  
"Arigato, Aya-san! Grandpa will be happy!" Taia smiled, "Thank you, all of you!"  
  
"Anytime," replied Yohji, like it was his idea, "I'm Yohji, this is Omi," Omi waved, "and Ken," Ken waved as well.  
  
"Hi!"  
  
Taia tried to get up, but her leg hurt too much. Omi disappeared for a second, and came back with the first aid kit.  
  
"Hold still, Taia-san. I have to clean your wounds."  
  
Taia was quiet while Omi finished up, then Omi, Ken and Aya went to the shop, and Solera went to her room. Yohji was glad that the others had left, now he could talk to Taia alone.  
  
"So, gorgeous, how old are you?"  
  
Taia blushed, "I'm 19 in two weeks."  
  
Yohji raised his eyebrows. He was interested, and Taia knew it. She had strawberry blond hair and blue eyes that sparkled whenever she smiled. And she had taken Yohji's fancy.  
  
She continued, "So, Yohji-san, still having trouble with the screaming schoolgirls at the shop?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Oh, You don't remember me? I was one of them at one stage. But I had to look after Grandpa when he got sick, so I stopped coming to the shop after school. And," Taia blushed again, "I had the biggest crush on you. Omi was cute, but a little too young, Ken was too involved in soccer, and Aya-san barely smiled. He scared me, too."  
  
Yohji couldn't help but laugh. "Aya's not scary. He can be very uptight at times, but he's not scary."  
  
Solera watched Taia and Yohji from the top of the stairs. They couldn't see her, though.  
  
Why am I jealous? she thought, Yohji and I are just good friends. I shouldn't be jealous. "Hey you two!" she said, running down the steps, "I'm going for a walk."  
  
"Okay, see ya later," Yohji replied, never once taking his eyes off Taia.  
  
Solera frowned and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.  
  
  
  
"Braaadleeey!"  
  
"Don't call me that!" the irate Oracle replied, giving Schuldig a death glare not unlike Aya's.  
  
"I'm going for a walk. Back soon."  
  
"Whatever." Crawford looked up from his newspaper just as the door shut, shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper.  
  
  
  
// Here kitty, kitty, kitty..//  
  
Schuldig was out looking for the new "Weiss kitten", as Farfarello so nicely put it. He didn't get a response. Damn, she must be out of range. He tried again.  
  
// I know you can hear me, so answer! //  
  
Still no response. He walked around for a while, trying to figure out who this girl was. Last mission, he didn't get a chance to see her in the flesh, but the mental image he got off Crawford made him drool.  
  
It was dusk, and Schuldig wasn't watching where he was going. He ran straight into a young woman who's thoughts were along the lines of, "Why my sudden attraction to Yotan? Damn Aya for being such an asshole. Omi and Ken are cute, but they seem a bit clueless at times.." He froze, and a cruel smile crept across his face.  
  
"Watch where you're going, baka!" The woman got no reply. "Hey, did you hear me?!"  
  
She was dragged into a nearby alley. She struggled to get free, but Schuldig had one hell of a grip.  
  
"What are you doing?! Let go!"  
  
Schuldig shoved to the ground roughly. "So you're the new Weiss kitten, Bengal, ja?"  
  
The woman scowled and looked away. "What do you want, scumbag?"  
  
"Aww, now that's not nice," he purred, running a finger along Bengal's lower lip, "I just want to play."  
  
"Well consider playtime over!" Bengal kicked Schuldig off her and tried to stand up, but he pulled her towards him, their faces only centimetres apart, and said, "Oh, but it's just begun."  
  
"Not if I can help it!" Bengal slapped her assailant as hard as she could, but only succeeded in allowing him to tackle her to the ground.  
  
Sitting on his heels, one leg either side of her, he said, // Let's try that again, shall we? //  
  
It was Bengal's turn to freeze.  
  
The familiar hypnotic mental voice, the wild red hair, the mischievous green eyes, the German accent. Schuldig did not expect the next words Bengal was about to say.  
  
"Kio, don't hurt me, bitte."  
  
Schuldig's eyes widened. There were only 3 people he had ever trusted with his real name: Crawford, Nagi and Solera. Last he heard, the Maxwells had been killed in a car accident. But Bengal looked strangely familiar, like an older version of Solera. He slowly got off her and helped her up. She was clearly frightened of him, and when he tried to stroke her cheek, she cowered.  
  
// Solera? //  
  
She nodded. // Kio, please don't hurt me.//  
  
// How could I, Solera? Not knowing what I know now. //  
  
Solera stared into his eyes, searching for truth in what he was saying.  
  
// Can I really trust you, Kio? //  
  
Schuldig sighed, and began to walk away. To say yes would be a lie.  
  
// Is the guy I loved still in there? //  
  
His eyes welled up with tears that rolled down his face onto the ground. He hated what he'd become, and he hated that Solera was with the enemy.  
  
// Solera, do you know what I've become? My father, that's what! I murder for money! //  
  
// You and I are in the same boat, I'm afraid. //  
  
// I know, Bengal. Believe me, I know. //  
  
Solera thought for a minute. If he knew she was with Schwarz, then he must be with..  
  
// Schwarz? Ja, I'm with Schwarz....so's Brad. //  
  
Solera dropped to her knees, sobbing. Her mind was screaming, NO! Why is this happening? Is this some horrible nightmare?!  
  
Schuldig's heart ached. He wanted to be with her, to tell her everything was okay, but fate had a way of complicating things.  
  
// I love you, Solera Maxwell. //  
  
With that said, he headed back to the Schwarz apartment as the rain fell heavily, mixing with his tears.  
  
  
  
When Solera got back to the Weiss apartment, Yohji was just getting out of his car. He had taken Taia home.  
  
"Solera? Oh my God, you're soaked! You'd better change."  
  
Solera barely acknowledged that Yohji was talking to her, but she went upstairs to change anyway.  
  
  
  
20 minutes later, Solera was laying in bed, eyes closed, trying not to think of what had just happened with Kio, when she heard a soft knock at her door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Yohji came in and sat on the bed. Solera managed a sad smile.  
  
"What's wrong, Sol?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"So, um, did you meet up with anyone on your walk?"  
  
"Yeah, my past." Solera began to cry again.  
  
"Do you want me to go?" Yohji asked gently.  
  
"No, stay. I could really use the company right now."  
  
Yohji was surprised by the answer, but he lay down beside her, hugging her closer to him.  
  
That was how Omi found them the next morning.  
  
"Ken! Ken!!"  
  
"What? What?" Ken replied, mouth full of cereal.  
  
"Do you know what I just saw?"  
  
"Uh, Aya in the nude?"  
  
Omi threw a sock at him. "NO! I went to check on Solera, only to find Yohji in the same bed with his arms around her!"  
  
Ken's mouth dropped open, and half-chewed cereal fell on the table.  
  
Aya heard the last part, stopped mid-step and ran back upstairs. Sure enough, Yohji was in bed with Solera. Aya was half-tempted to chase Yohji with his katana for sleeping with a team member, but good sense and prior experience told him to be quiet.  
  
Unfortunately, good sense told Ken and Omi nothing, and when Solera and Yohji came downstairs, Ken said, "So, did you two have fun last night?"  
  
Yohji, usually the first to know about these things, looked confused.  
  
Omi saw the confused look, and said in an exasperated tone, "I saw you and Solera in bed together. You had your arms around her and we sorta figured...Is there something you wanna tell us?"  
  
"There's NOTHING to tell!" Solera replied heatedly, "Only that I was upset and Yohji was comforting me, that's as far as it went. We didn't DO anything!"  
  
Three sets of eyes looked at Yohji incredulously. For once the playboy didn't take advantage of the situation, maybe he had changed.  
  
Solera snatched a piece of toast out of Ken's hand. "I'm going to open the shop. Come and help me when you're ready, boys."  
  
Aya followed after her.  
  
Ken went to take a bite out of his toast. "AAAAHH!!!! My toast has disappeared!!" he cried.  
  
"Baka! Solera took it!" said Omi, laughing at his expression.  
  
Ken whimpered and made some more.  
  
  
  
Solera worked her first shift at the shop with Aya. She had decided to forgive him, and he was relieved.  
  
Solera's eyes widened at the insane amount of schoolgirls that walked through the door. "Aya-kun, do you want me to run back to the apartment and grab our katanas? It looks like we'll need them."  
  
"No, it's okay. Excuse me." Aya stood on a chair and shouted, "If you're not buying anything, get out!!"  
  
This only made the girls swarm towards Aya.  
  
"Kuso," he muttered under his breath, "Damn the entire Japanese schoolgirl population.."  
  
  
  
~End Chapter 6~  
  
A/N: Ooh, that's two people from her past that she's found! She's done what she set out to do. What next?  
  
REVIEWS ACCEPTED, FLAMES IGNORED, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES APPRECIATED. I PROMISE I'LL SHARE! ^_^  
  
  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	8. Where angels fear to tread

DISCLAIMER: Normal disclaimers apply. If ya don't know the drill by now, you'll never know it! MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ^___^  
  
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)  
Chapter Seven - Where angels fear to tread  
  
Schuldig woke up with a headache. He was ashamed to admit it, but he'd done a lot of crying the night before.  
  
// I hate myself. //  
  
Crawford looked up, eyebrows raised. // You're telling me this, why? //  
  
// You were right about Bengal, the new Weiss member. She IS Solera..//  
  
Crawford raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you last night, then?"  
  
"I'd rather not say, if it's all the same to you."  
  
// I'll guess then. You tried to add her to your list of conquests without realising who she was, is that it? //  
  
Schuldig ran his hand through his hair. // Something like that. //  
  
Usually Crawford would have smirked at this, but he was in the same position as Schuldig. He wanted Solera as much as Schuldig did. Both of them were vying for Solera's affection all over again.  
  
History repeating, Crawford mused.  
  
// How right you are, Brad. //  
  
// Don't call me Brad! //  
  
// Fine. //  
  
Schuldig pulled a beer out of the refrigerator, opened it, and was about to take a sip, when Amber raced past and floated the can out of his hand.  
  
"Thanks!" she said, and headed back to her room, can of beer floating in front of her.  
  
"Damned teenager!" Schuldig growled, getting another beer from the fridge.  
  
"In America, she'd be arrested for underage drinking," said Crawford, raising his coffee cup to his mouth.  
  
"Tch! This from a guy who only drinks alcohol on occasions when there's no coffee. And besides we're not IN America!" He sat down again. "So, how are you handling the brat?"  
  
In reply to this, Crawford did something very unCrawford-like, and bashed his head against the table repeatedly.  
  
"That good, huh? Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see Solera."  
  
"Schuldig, you know that if you set foot inside the shop while Abyssinian's on duty, you probably won't get out alive."  
  
The door slammed shut.  
  
"Dammit, Schuldig, I'm talking to you!"  
  
"Do want me to get him for you, Crawford?" asked Nagi.  
  
"No, it's okay, Nagi. But I want you to wear Amber out, so she doesn't bother me today."  
  
"Yes Crawford."  
  
"Can I do it?" asked the eager Irishman, knife in hand.  
  
Crawford sighed. "Fine, but if there's any blood on the carpet, I will personally kill you."  
The door of the Koneko opened, and Schuldig stepped inside. "Nice shop."  
  
Taia's shift had just started when Schuldig walked in. "Can I help you?" she asked, completely oblivious to the fact that she was talking to her attacker. Schuldig was the same way.  
  
"Is Solera here?"  
  
"Gomen, she left an hour ago. I can take a message for you, if you like."  
  
"Just tell her a close friend came by."  
  
"Okay, bye!"  
  
Schuldig left the shop, a little disappointed. To make himself feel better, he decided to go shopping for some new clothes to wear when he went clubbing. A shop called Gen X caught his eye, so he went over to check it out.  
  
And stopped dead in his tracks when he saw none other than Balinese and Bengal in the same shop. Schuldig thought that now would be the perfect time to annoy Balinese no end, so he walked up behind Solera and put his arms around her waist.  
  
"Wie geht's(1), Katzchen?" he purred softly in her ear.  
  
Solera looked up and blushed. Yohji stared in shock, and dragged Schuldig out of the shop.  
  
"I should kill you right now, but I won't. Just tell me why the hell you were trying to hit on Bengal!" Yohji said fiercely.  
  
// It's funny how the past catches up with us, isn't it? //  
  
// What's that supposed to mean? //  
  
Schuldig smirked at how pissed off Balinese was. // Solera and I were an item 6 years ago. I bet she failed to tell you that, didn't she? //  
  
// I don't care! Touch her again, and I'll...I'll...//  
  
// Oh, but you do care. And until you can actually get hold of me to kill me, I suggest you keep you mouth shut. Auf Wiedersehen(2), Balinese. //  
  
Schuldig turned to Solera and winked at her. // Until next time, Bengal. //  
  
"Come on Solera, we're going now."  
  
Solera followed Yohji to the car, and on the way home, not a word was exchanged between them, until Yohji broke the silence.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you knew him, Solera?"  
  
"I didn't know he was with Schwarz! We lost contact six years ago!"  
  
"He said something to me. He said, 'It's funny how the past catches up with us', and he also told me you two were an item six years ago. Is that true?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So when you told me last night that you met up with your past, you were talking about him."  
  
Solera nodded.  
  
Yohji sighed, reached over and held her hand. "Why didn't you tell me last night?"  
  
"I was afraid you'd get me kicked out of Weiss!"  
  
"Well, you having connections with our rivals can have serious ramifications."  
  
Solera looked away. "That was my past. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I could start a relationship with Kio again, not without splitting Weiss up..."  
  
"Wait a second, who's Kio?"  
  
"The guy you were yelling at. You didn't know?"  
  
"No, I didn't. He usually goes by the name Schuldig."  
  
"How ironic. It means 'guilty' in German. The only thing he feels guilty for, is letting his father take him away from me."  
  
"You got it rough, didn't you?"  
  
Tears welled up in Solera's eyes, and she looked out the window. "Twice."  
  
"Twice? Who else?"  
  
"Brad Crawford."  
  
Yohji's stunned look spoke volumes. "As in, Brad Crawford from Schwarz?"  
  
"One and the same."  
  
Yohji pulled up in the driveway of the apartment building, and faced Solera again. "If you're having problems, come and tell me."  
  
"I'll try when you and Taia aren't busy gazing longingly into each other's eyes."  
  
"Now that was sarcastic. What makes you think there's anything going on between me and Taia?"  
  
Solera gave Yohji an 'I-know-you-too-well' look.  
  
"..Okay, I like her alot. Hey, we're going clubbing on Saturday. You up for it?"  
  
Solera had a flashback to her first clubbing experience and shuddered. "No thanks, the bad first-time experience scarred me for life. I think I'll stay here. It's safer."  
  
Yohji laughed, and his hair flopped into his eyes. The two of them walked inside, arm in arm.  
"Guys, we have another mission."  
  
It had been a week since Solera and Yohji saw Schuldig, and everything had been going okay up until then.  
  
"Spill, Aya-kun," Solera replied.  
  
"This is where yours and Omi's hacking abilities will come in handy. A man named Masumi Ikeda has plans to destroy The Embassy on the same day the world leaders will be meeting there. The plans are saved on the hard drive of a computer in Ikeda's base, located underground. Turns out, it's being guarded by Schwarz, who also have a new member. A young female telekinetic, and before you ask, Yohji, she's only 17."  
  
Yohji pretended to look hurt. "For your information, I wasn't going to ask! So, now they have two telekinetics, eh?"  
  
"Her name is Amber. She's slightly shorter than Omi, and she does taekwondo. We can only assume she's Japanese, other than that, there's no record of her nationality. Whoever's controlling Schwarz got her when she was a baby."  
  
"Finally! A chance to hack into something! Omi's been hogging the computer."  
  
Omi looked horrified, "I have not!"  
  
Solera poked her tongue out at him. "I'm gonna get ready. I'll be in the shower."  
  
"That was mature," said Ken, rolling his eyes.  
  
When he heard the bathroom door shut, Aya grumbled, "She'd better not use all the hot water. Women have a nasty habit of doing that."  
  
Yohji winked, "Why don't you shower with her? It's save water, and besides, it'll be fun!"  
  
Aya glared at him.  
  
"Okay," Ken replied, "every day since she arrived, you've managed to tell us what you hate about her. Is there any thing that you don't hate about her?"  
  
Aya sighed and closed his eyes. This was bound to come up in conversation. "She's like Aya-chan, a free spirit. Doesn't listen to anything you say, but you can't help liking her."  
  
Aya was interrupted by Solera calling out, "Yotan! Can you go up to my room and get my shampoo?"  
  
"I'll be back in a minute, guys," Yohji said, heading upstairs.  
  
Solera's room was much like his own: clothes all over the floor, and an unmade bed.  
  
On her bedside table, he spotted a picture that looked like a teenage Crawford, Schuldig, and Solera.  
  
"Hmm, they looked so much happier then."  
  
He found the shampoo, and kicked it through the slightly open bathroom door.  
  
"Thanks, Yotan!" came the reply.  
Crawford was tired, irritated and bored. He wouldn't admit it to the other four so easily though.  
  
"So, how long until Weiss show up?" asked Amber, kicking the tyres on Schuldig's convertible, "I have to do my nails."  
  
Schuldig was bored and irritated as well. "I don't know! And for Christ's sake, stop kicking my car!"  
  
"Fine," she replied, and sat next to Nagi, "What, we're just gonna wait here until they show up?"  
  
"Yes, that's the idea!" snapped Crawford.  
  
"Hmph. I'd rather go back to Rosenkreuz. Even that was more fun than this."  
  
"You were probably a teacher's pet," snorted Schuldig.  
  
"What would you know, Bozo? I'm a higher level telekinetic than you are a telepath. If we went up against each other, you'd be dead before you even tried anything."  
  
"Oh yeah? Prove it!"  
  
"You can kill each other after the mission, just SHUT UP UNTIL THEN!!" Crawford yelled, losing his patience, "Honestly, Nagi's better behaved than the both of you!"  
  
Farfarello was looking at a picture of Bengal that he'd swiped from somewhere. He was talking to himself. "So innocent, so corruptible. Perfect skin, soft. She must die."  
  
// Trust me Farf, she no more innocent than I am. //  
  
Farfarello cocked his head to one side. Schuldig's words had caught his attention. // You know her? //  
  
// Personally. She's a vicious little kitty. //  
  
// Even better. //  
  
Farf wasn't as insane as people thought. He was actually very intelligent, but people had ignored his intellect for so long, that even he was beginning to believe he was insane.  
  
His ears picked up another sound. "They're here. Time for kitty kebabs!"  
  
// Easy there, not until mine or Crawford's signal. //  
  
Farf grinned. // Ah, eager to impress the female kitty? //  
  
// You'd better believe it. //  
  
// God will cry! //  
Amber paired off against Solera first up.  
  
"So, you're Schwarz's new member, huh?" said Solera, dodging punches.  
  
"It's not like I had a choice," Amber replied, kicking Solera in the shoulder.  
  
"You went to Rosenkreuz, handpicked by Este when you were a baby."  
  
"You sure know a lot about me." Amber was amused.  
  
"Let's just say that I have a lot of time on my hands, and, like you, I was forced into this way of life." Solera kicked Amber in the side of the head, knocking her unconscious.  
  
Farfarello charged at Solera, dagger in hand. He leapt the last ten feet and only managed to nick her arm slightly. Solera unsheathed her katana and swung it at him. Farf ducked and knocked the katana out of her hand. It clattered to the ground a couple of metres away.  
  
"Nice kitty, I won't hurt you...much!" Farfarello cackled, "You have a lot of spirit, I can see why Mastermind likes you so much."  
  
He lunged at Solera only to be sent sprawling backwards. Solera took this as an opportunity to find Omi and the others. She picked up her katana and ran through the seemingly deserted base. She had been given an earpiece so that she could communicate with the rest of Weiss.  
  
"Bombay, where are you?"  
  
"Downstairs in the den part. Be careful, the place is still heavily guarded."  
  
"I'll be there soon-" Solera was cut off when she felt herself being lifted into the air. "Oh shit."  
  
"'Oh shit' is never a good thing to say on a mission. What's the trouble?" asked Yohji.  
  
"Boy telekinetic."  
  
"I'll be there in a minute."  
  
Suddenly a voice from the darkness said, "Put her down, Prodigy."  
  
"But Crawford-"  
  
"Don't question me, Nagi! I-" Crawford didn't get to finish. A wave of pain swept over him as he had a vision. The building had blown up, and a female was the only one dead.  
  
When the vision was over, Crawford opened his eyes, but the building had already filled with smoke. "EVERYBODY OUT!" he yelled, hoping that even Weiss could hear him, "THE BUILDING'S GOING TO EXPLODE!"  
  
He found the exit and saw his team accounted for, and the Weiss boys, but no Solera.  
  
"Schuldig, Farfarello, we have to go back in and find Bengal!"  
  
With an affirmative nod, the three psychics ran back into the smoky building.  
  
"They'd better find her," muttered Aya, pacing up and down the concrete.  
"I can't find her, Schuldig!" Crawford exclaimed, getting more and more worried by the second, "Have you made contact with her?"  
  
// Her brain appears to have shut down. She's unconscious. Any luck, Farf? //  
  
"Yes, the little lost kitty's accounted for."  
  
Schuldig and Crawford breathed a sigh of relief. The three men ran for the exit. As they reached it, the building blew up, and they were thrown several feet away.  
  
Crawford lay there for what seemed like hours. Farfarello was sitting up with a very injured Solera laying in his lap.  
  
"Come on. We'll take her home with us. We'll send a message to Weiss later."  
  
As the car drove off, Ken woke up. Looking around, he exclaimed, "Schwarz have Solera!"  
Another Cliffhanger!!!!  
  
MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
What'll happen to Solera? Do Schwarz have good intentions, and how will Weiss go about getting her back?  
  
Please Review!! Onegai?  
  
~Blue Silhouette~  
  
(1)= How are you  
  
(2)= Goodbye 


	9. Second Chances

DISCLAIMER: Normal disclaimers apply. If ya don't know the drill by now, you'll never know it! MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ^___^  
  
  
  
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight - Second Chances  
  
  
  
Nagi had never seen Crawford look so sad. Crawford had been sitting on a chair beside his bed, where Solera was at present, his head in his hands. His glasses were on the bedside table, and he wasn't wearing a suit, just tracksuit pants and an open shirt.  
  
"This is the girl you told me about 6 years ago," said Nagi, finally understanding, "You really like her, don't you?"  
  
Crawford was silent, but Nagi already knew the answer. He left the room quietly and ran into Farf.  
  
"Is Bengal okay?"  
  
Nagi shook his head. "She's still out of it."  
  
Farf frowned in thought, and walked away.  
  
When Crawford saw he was alone again, he began to cry. "Solera, I didn't mean for this to happen.."  
  
There was no answer. He watched Solera's chest rise and fall as she breathed. He reached out and pushed her hair out of her eyes.  
  
// Do you mind if I join you? //  
  
Crawford turned around and saw Schuldig standing in the doorway.  
  
// No, come in. //  
  
Schuldig sat on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Schuldig, why do we compete for her when we won't be able to start anything with her anyway?"  
  
"Heh, you know me, always persistent, no matter who it hurts," replied the telepath.  
  
"If we'd stayed in America, none of this would have ever happened!"  
  
"What's to say that even if we did stay in America, this wouldn't have happened anyway? Think rationally, Brad."  
  
Crawford didn't yell at Schuldig this time. He knew he was right. // I don't know why, but I feel comfortable telling you these things. //  
  
Schuldig was surprised at this admission from his leader and replied with a half-smirk. // Maybe it's because we share a common interest. //  
  
Crawford glanced over at Schuldig, who was holding Solera's other hand. He then said, "I couldn't leave Japan because the team would fall apart, and Solera's bound to Weiss. I don't want what happened six years ago to happen again." He stood up, leaned over and kissed Solera's forehead. "I'm going to make myself a cup of coffee. Do you want one?"  
  
"Yeah, why not?"  
  
The two men walked out of the room.  
  
  
  
Farfarello snuck in as soon as Crawford and Schuldig left.  
  
"Ye have to stay alive," he said softly, "to make everything normal again. If ye die, Crawford and Schuldig will be weak, and Este will have them killed."  
  
He thought she looked peaceful. "Like a real kitten," he mused.  
  
Farf hadn't known love before, or not that he could remember, so he didn't really know how Crawford and Schuldig felt. He only knew that is this girl died, it would mean the end of Schwarz, and he'd be sent to some place he was sure he didn't want to be, from the tales that Schuldig told him.  
  
Suddenly, Solera blinked and opened her eyes. "Where am I?"  
  
Without warning, Farf picked her up and carried her to the kitchen. Schuldig jumped up, took Solera from Farf's arms and let her stand. He hugged her tightly.  
  
"We're so glad you're okay. We thought you weren't going to make it!"  
  
"Well, I almost didn't. I heard a voice telling me I had to stay alive for the sake of you two. I realised I'm still needed here."  
  
"That voice....that voice ye heard was me."  
  
Solera faced the Beserker. "You? But you tried to kill me last night!"  
  
"Actually, it was three nights ago," Farf corrected, "But I've never had the chance to love someone. I didn't want to destroy Crawford and Schuldig's chances."  
  
He retreated in the direction of his cell.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute," said Solera, as she followed Farfarello.  
  
  
  
He was laying on the floor of his cell when Solera came in. She knelt beside him, and he sat up.  
  
"What do ye want?" he asked, heart pounding.  
  
"I...I wanted to say thankyou, for keeping me alive," she stuttered, a little unnerved by her surroundings and the fact that she was even actually talking to the 'madman', "a..and I want to give you something."  
  
Solera leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Farfarello stood up and she stood up with him. She had to stand on her toes to continue, but she didn't mind. Farf deepened the kiss, not wanting it to end. To him, it was surreal. Solera pulled away eventually.  
  
"What was that for?" asked Farf.  
  
"I owe you my life, and it was only fair that I gave you what you never had," she replied, and headed for the kitchen.  
  
  
  
"Yohji-kun, I'm worried about Solera."  
  
The young blonde's smile was replaced with worry.  
  
"We all are, Omittchi. But we all have a different way of showing it." Yohji shot a glance at Aya, who was staring out the window, cup of coffee in hand.  
  
Ken was restless, and kept cleaning his bugnuks over and over. There was a knock at the door that startled the for of them. Omi opened the door, and there stood Taia.  
  
"Hey Omittchi," she kissed him on the cheek, "hey guys. Where's Solera?"  
  
"She's gone away for a while," replied Aya, still staring out the window.  
  
"Oh. Well anyway, Grandpa and I were wondering, would you guys like to come to dinner? With all the extra money, we can afford to have a few extra people over."  
  
Yohji Ken and Omi said yeas, but Aya declined.  
  
"I'll stay here. I have a few things I need to do anyway."  
  
"Alright then. I'll see the rest of you at seven. Ja ne!"  
  
Yohji followed Taia downstairs. "Taia, wait up!"  
  
She turned around. "Yeah?"  
  
"Well, uh, I was wondering...Well, we've spent alot of time together over the past couple of weeks and, uh.." Usually Yohji knew all the right things to say around women, but Taia was different. She was special.  
  
"Yes, I'll go out with you!" she replied, ecstatic.  
  
"Great! Well, see you later then. I've gotta get ready." He kissed Taia softly, and went back inside. "Solera, don't be mad with me, and look after yourself." He went up to his room and closed the door.  
  
  
  
"Crawford, why is she still here?" Amber demanded, scowling.  
  
"If she's here, Weiss can't get us, and if they do, we'll threaten to kill her," Crawford replied, not looking up from his newspaper.  
  
// Sol, you know he's just putting up a front so the others don't get sus. //  
  
// I know, Kio. I just hope Amber won't take the killing part seriously. //  
  
Schuldig chuckled to himself.  
  
"Well, you treat her like a friggin' queen, and she's our enemy! So where are my crown jewels?"  
  
Schuldig caught himself staring at the complaining teenager. Physically, she was attractive. Almond-shaped green eyes, and shoulder-length blonde hair. But he didn't like the fact that she felt she had to put others down in order to get respect. Schuldig certainly didn't respect her, that was for sure.  
  
But I still want Solera, he argued with himself.  
  
Farf sat on his favourite chair in the living room, the chair with the slashed-up upholstery. He didn't care. Usually he'd be taking his frustrations out on the chair, saying, "Take that, God!", but today he just sat there, his one golden eye looking intently at Solera. He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt drawn to her.  
  
Solera caught him staring, and smiled at him. He looked away, embarrassed that he'd been caught.  
  
"Brad, can I use your phone?" Solera asked Crawford.  
  
Crawford nodded, and took her to his room when his phone was.  
  
Solera, unaware that he was still in the room with her, dialled the number. It rang once, twice, three times, then, "Hello, Fujimiya speaking."  
  
"Aya? It's Solera. I rang to let you know that I'm okay, and I'm being well- looked after. I can't talk long."  
  
"When will you be back?" Aya let a little bit of concern slip into his tone.  
  
"By next mission. I gotta go. Say hi to the others for me."  
  
"Ja ne."  
  
Solera hung up. The bedroom door shut, and startled her. She spun around.  
  
"Brad! I didn't know you were still in here!"  
  
"Sorry to startle you. Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be back with Weiss by your next mission. I just thought it'd be nice if you stayed here a while, you know, to pick up where we left off."  
  
Crawford and Solera sat facing each other, and wrapped their arms around each other. Crawford pulled Solera into a laying position, and she kissed him on the nose. He tilted his head up so that his lips met hers. She opened her mouth enough to let his tongue slip in. Crawford pushed himself up against her, eager to fell to warmth of her body against his for the first time, and put his hands on his stomach, making her giggle at the slightest touch. Solera ran her hands over his firm stomach muscles.  
  
"You look after yourself, don't you?" she mused.  
  
"Well, it helps with this profession," he replied.  
  
"I suppose it does."  
  
They lay peacefully with their arms around each other, then Amber barged in.  
  
"Crawford-san, Nagi and Farfarello are..." She noticed the position the two were in, and smirked. "Well, isn't this a pretty picture? Mr Takatori would love to hear about this!"  
  
Schuldig came up behind Amber, and for some unknown reason, he kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, leave these two alone. They haven't seen each other for six years."  
  
Amber was in shock, and she blindly obeyed Schuldig, who stuck his head back through the doorway and said, "You owe me, Crawford." He winked at them, "Have fun, Kinder!"  
  
As soon as he walked away, Solera burst out laughing. "He hasn't changed much, has he?"  
  
"No, he hasn't," Crawford replied, smiling.  
  
They stood up, and Crawford was about to button up his shirt, but Solera said, "It looks better unbuttoned. Sexier."  
  
"I could say the same to you, but you don't have any buttons on your top."  
  
"Oh, poor you," Solera replied, mock-pouting.  
  
Crawford laughed. "Come on, you, before I do something we'll both regret."  
  
  
  
Solera sat between Farf and Schuldig on the couch.  
  
"How are my other two favourite people today?"  
  
Farf didn't answer, but Schuldig replied by hugging her. "I'm fine, but you seem happy, I wonder why...?"  
  
Solera hit him. "Don't kid! Seems like you've got your eye on one of your own team members. Amber, was it?"  
  
// Say nothing, Sol. My loyalties lie with you. //  
  
Solera got serious. "Kio, come with me. We need to talk."  
  
The two of them went outside. Solera allowed for silence to pass between them, and then she spoke.  
  
"Do you honestly think that we could ever be together again without putting our own lives, and the lives of our teams in danger?"  
  
"If it meant I could be with you, I'd chance it."  
  
Silence again, then, "Farf likes you too. He's been thinking all about the kiss he got from a certain Weiss kitten a couple of days ago," Schuldig looked hurt, "Why did you do it?"  
  
"I owe him my life! He saved me. You should be grateful as well, you and Crawford. He said he didn't want your chances of finding love destroyed. I thought he deserved that chance too. Put it this way, Kio, if he didn't say what he said, I wouldn't be alive, and there'd be no second chances for any of us."  
  
Solera hugged Schuldig.  
  
"Solera, who do you want to be with? If you choose Crawford, I can't say I won't be hurt, but I'll be here for you still."  
  
"Don't make me choose, because it's impossible; I couldn't choose without endangering everyone involved!"  
  
"Shh, I didn't mean to get you so riled up. Come here," Schuldig kissed her gently. "Come on, let's go back inside."  
  
  
  
"So, she's okay?" Yohji asked Aya.  
  
"So she says. Apparently, she's being 'well-looked after'."  
  
Manx appeared in the doorway. "Maybe Schwarz have good intentions. If Solera once dated Schuldig and Crawford was her best friend, then maybe they won't kill her."  
  
"I still don't trust them," said Omi, scowling.  
  
"Settle down, chibi, you're beginning to sound like Aya!" replied Yohji.  
  
Omi and Aya both glared at Yohji.  
  
Manx said, "Omi, I'm not asking you to trust them. I don't. I just want you to have a little faith that Bengal will get back safely, that's all."  
  
Ken was feeling more and more depressed, he felt like the team was falling apart without Solera.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Will Weiss fall apart? Will Solera cross over to the DARK SIDE? And will Crawford get Farf a new chair?  
  
The answer to the last one is no. Poor Farfie! (  
  
But in the next chapter, interesting things happen with Farf. To find out, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter.  
  
But anyway, keep checking back for more chappies. Still another 10 to go, and then the sequel...  
  
I've been busy!  
  
  
  
Please Review!! Onegai?  
  
  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	10. A talk with Farfarello

DISCLAIMER: Normal disclaimers apply. If ya don't know the drill by now, you'll never know it! MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ^___^  
  
  
  
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Nine - A talk with Farfarello  
  
  
  
  
  
Solera had been with Schwarz for about two weeks. She missed Weiss, and Crawford sensed it.  
  
"You can go home if you like, Sol. I won't stop you."  
  
"Thanks Brad, you and the others have been great to me. But my boys need me."  
  
"I need you too, but I also know how much of a danger it would be for you to stay."  
  
Solera tried to resist the urge to bawl her eyes out, so she ran out the door and straight into Farfarello.  
  
"What-"  
  
She pushed him out of the way and ran in the direction of the park. Without a second thought, Farf raced after her, and Crawford stood at the door, watching them both. He slammed the door shut and punched a fair-sized hole into the wall.  
  
"What's eating you, Braddiekins?"  
  
"I told Solera she could go home, but I also said I needed her still. She ran off after that. God, I feel like such an idiot!"  
  
Schuldig was dumbfounded. Crawford didn't even yell at him for calling him 'Braddiekins'.  
  
"Well," he started to reply, "I think she loves you more than she loves me. And if we were together again, knowing me, I'd probably do something that I'd regret. Six years ago, things were different, I respected people. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Solera, intentionally anyway. Five years with Schwarz has taken its toll." Schuldig took a deep breath and continued, "Over the years, I think I lost any sense of respect I had. Goddammit, Crawford! We're letting the best thing that happened to either of us, walk out of our lives again!"  
  
"Hey Nagi, what's up with them?" Amber whispered.  
  
"They're both in love with Solera, but neither can have her because she's with Weiss," Nagi replied.  
  
Amber's expression softened. "That's so sweet, kinda like a soap opera, but more complicated. It's harder to kill the characters in this one."  
  
Nagi looked horrified, but Amber just smiled and continued, "I'll talk to Bozo later when he's calmer."  
  
Amber didn't hate the older man as much as she said she did. He was actually pretty sexy, as well as cheeky and outgoing. And that time he kissed her on the cheek, she never thought it would happen because she'd been such a bitch. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance. As long as that Solera girl didn't decide that she wanted Schuldig back.  
  
  
  
Farfarello had slowed to a walk. People stared at him, but he ignored them. It was a warm spring day and there were people everywhere. He found Solera sitting against a tree. She had been crying, and didn't realise Farf was standing there until he sat next to her.  
  
"You're not okay, are you?"  
  
Solera shook her head in response. "I'm sorry I almost knocked you over before."  
  
"That's okay. Now, tell me what's wrong."  
  
Solera leaned against Farfarello for support. He hesitantly put his arm around her waist.  
  
She took a deep breath and started to speak. "Brad said I could go home to Weiss. I'm grateful for that because they need me, but then he said that even though he still needed me as well, he knew how dangerous it would be if I stayed. The trouble is, I'm torn between staying with Schwarz and staying with Weiss." Solera looked up at him, "I don't expect you to understand, but it's good to be able to talk to someone about it."  
  
Farfarello didn't know what to say, so instead he got out his favourite dagger and gave it to Solera to look at. The handle was decorative, with a picture of a Bengal tiger on it. She accidentally cut her finger with it, and it bled like a papercut. Suddenly, Farf began to suck on the cut finger.  
  
The taste of her blood was bittersweet like everyone else's, but it was different. It tasted of purity and innocence, things he himself had long forgotten about. Yet she had the killing instinct buried within her, still to be revealed.  
  
If she could love people like Crawford and Schuldig, or give him something he had never experienced, then maybe there was a chance for him to find someone like her who didn't give a damn about his state of mind and would like him for who he was.  
  
Farf removed her finger from his mouth and said, "It's stopped bleeding now."  
  
Solera's surprised expression turned into a smile, as her hazel eyes met his golden one. He attempted to return the smile, but it didn't work. She giggled a little, and traced a finger over the scars on his face.  
  
"You did this to yourself?"  
  
Farf nodded. "It makes God cry."  
  
Solera didn't ask him to explain, because she wasn't sure she wanted to know.  
  
"Who do you love?"  
  
"Huh?" Solera was startled by the question.  
  
"Who do you love, Crawford or Schuldig?" Farf was persistent.  
  
"Well, that's kind of hard to say. Schuldig was protective, as well as fun, but when we were dating, there were times I thought he was only after one thing. It took me a couple of months to realise he wouldn't do anything like that unless I let him. With Crawford, I always felt safe. I still do. He may not be as fun as Schuldig, but he's romantic and charming. After Schuldig attempted to attack me, I realised that he could probably do it again to someone else. I mean, he's a great friend, and he was an excellent boyfriend, but if I was to date him again, I wouldn't be able to trust him fully. I think I love Crawford, but I couldn't tell him that and then have to fight against him next mission. It wouldn't feel right. I don't want them to be weak because they're worried about me. It's killing me, but this is a difficult situation, and I'm scared."  
  
Farfarello's golden eye looked into Solera's hazel eyes again. He pressed his forehead against hers.  
  
"Farf, promise me you'll watch out for them."  
  
In reply, his lips met hers, arms tightly encircling her waist.  
  
The kiss caught Solera off-guard, but she relaxed into it. He's getting pretty good at this, she thought happily.  
  
  
  
Ken dismissed the kids from their soccer lesson early, and wandered through the park on his way home, taking in the sunshine. A day like this was rare, and Ken hadn't been out for nearly two weeks. He'd been moody since Solera left, both he and Omi. Yohji had Taia, and Aya kept to himself, but Ken and Omi hadn't dealt with it so well. Ken had finally found someone who appreciated soccer as much as he did, and Omi had someone to help him crack complex codes when hacking.  
  
Ken continued on this train of thought, until he saw a girl who looked strangely familiar, kissing a guy who looked strangely familiar. Then it hit him. The clothes that the girl wore were identical to Solera's mission gear. The guy had silver hair a black eyepatch, and plenty of bandages.  
  
"Oh my God, it's Solera and the Beserker! And they're kissing....each other!"  
  
He raced back to the shop to tell the others what he saw.  
  
  
  
Solera was sitting on Farfarello's lap, head back on his shoulder. Farf had wanted, had craved closeness from another human being. He got what he wanted, even though it was only temporary.  
  
// Nice thought, Farf. //  
  
// What do you want, Schuldig? //  
  
// Only to say that Bradley would not be the slightest bit happy if he found out what you were doing with his girl. //  
  
// I thought you were after her as well? //  
  
// I was until I realised she probably couldn't trust me after my attempted attack. Hell, I can't even trust myself! // Schuldig's mental chuckle echoed through Farfarello's mind.  
  
// I don't care what Crawford has to say about this. Solera needs to be happy. //  
  
// Face it, Farf. None of us can give her happiness. Our line of work makes it difficult. //  
  
Farf slammed the mental shields up. "Solera, would you like to go somewhere quieter?"  
  
Solera looked at her watch. "Yeah, okay. I'm not going home for a few more hours yet."  
  
They walked a little way away until they came across an secluded spot. Tree branches overshadowed it, blocking out the sun. Solera lay on her back, looking up through the trees. She felt like a little girl again. Farfarello lay beside her, propping himself up on one elbow, he scanned her features.  
  
He noticed a scar down the middle of her lower lip. The scar adds character, he thought, without it she wouldn't be complete.  
  
She had a pendant on a silver chain around her neck. It was a silver cross with an opal in the centre, which rested just nicely on her collarbone. Her hair was reddy-brown and wavy. Most of the time she didn't tie it back.  
  
Farf curled a lock of her hair around his fingers. It was soft and well- looked after.  
  
She had serious eyes, and he could tell that even though she had so many people who loved and cared for her, she was still lonely. Her lips were full and soft. He leaned over and kissed them, wrapping his arms around her once more.  
  
Thoughts of Brad and Kio disappeared from her mind, this kiss had caught her off-guard. Her life had now gotten more complicated, but for the moment she was content to throw caution to the wind. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss.  
  
It was a strange feeling for Farfarello, but he enjoyed the closeness and warmth. He pulled away and started to kiss her neck. She moaned a little, but he stopped temporarily so the could both sit up. With his arm around her back to support her, he continued. Solera tilted her head back, surprised at how gentle his touch was.  
  
Her hand rested on his chest, sending a shiver right through him, causing him to stop and just hold her.  
  
"Farfarello, why do you want this?"  
  
"I..I don't know. It just feels right."  
  
"Aren't you worried of what Crawford may think?"  
  
"No. You're the only female who's ever treated me nicely. I'm not as insane as people think. I know what kindness is."  
  
"I don't think you're insane," she kissed him on the nose, "I think you're a nutcase, but I don't think you're insane. I don't want you to lose your edge because of me, though."  
  
Farf chuckled, "Me? Lose my edge? Never!"  
  
"I hate this life." Solera turned away from Farf. "When I first moved to Japan, I saw Weiss fight another team. My flatmate was killed, and I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was surrounded by the Weiss boys, and was told I had one of two choices: join Weiss, or leave and be killed. I chose Weiss, death didn't sound like a good option at the time. Now I'm not so sure. The original reason I came to Japan was to find Brad and Kio. They turned out to be so different! I wanted to live a normal life, but it hasn't turned out like that at all!"  
  
Her body was racked with sobs. She had just told Farfarello things she didn't think she could tell her own team. She let herself be pulled back into Farf's embrace, the tears still falling.  
  
A few minutes later, Solera dried her eyes and stood up. "Farf, can we go back? I have to say goodbye before I go."  
  
He nodded and stood next to her, arm around her shoulders. The two walked in the direction of the apartment.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
EEEPP!!!! 3 GUYS NOW!!!  
  
Will Crawford find out?  
  
  
  
Please Review!! Onegai?  
  
  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	11. Solera's return

DISCLAIMER AND WARNINGS: see chapter 9.  
Chapter 10 - Solera returns  
Solera appeared at the doorway of Crawford's study.  
  
"Farfarello found me," she said, almost sheepishly, "we talked about the whole situation and I feel better now. I'm sorry I ran out this morning, it was nothing against you. I...I'm....I just got so confused! This is really complicated for me, and I don't want you to be mad at me."  
  
Crawford sighed. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself. I guess I brought you back here the night of the explosion because I wanted my chance with you. Schuldig got his chance six years ago, and we've been arguing over you ever since. He's resigned to the fact that you could probably never trust him fully, so he's decided not to chase you. As for what I want, I've made it clear, and now it's up to you."  
  
Solera looked at Farf, who whispered to her. "Tell him and get it out of your system."  
  
She took a deep breath and said, "Brad, I love you, and if you kill any of my team, I won't resent you for it, you're just doing your job. Just pretend nothing happened, that I wasn't here, and everything will be back to normal."  
  
A single tear rolled down Crawford's cheek as he kissed her goodbye. "Sol, you know I'll never be able to forget these things, but I'll try for your sake."  
  
Schuldig appeared at the top of the stairs, his hair tied back for the first time in five years. "Notice anything different?" he said, grinning.  
  
"Your hair, you tied it back! It looks nicer like that. You look very..uh, to be blunt, you look drop dead sexy," Solera replied smiling back at him.  
  
"Danke schön, but in the looks department, you come first place," Schuldig pretended to look defeated, "I am at a loss."  
  
"Stop kidding around! I have to say goodbye."  
  
Schuldig kissed her on the lips, "Just remember all the good times we had, and I'll see you next time we fight."  
  
Amber gave Solera a hug. "Amber, thanks for lending me clothes for the past two weeks. I would have gone home and packed, but I was under house arrest," Solera gave Schuldig and Crawford a playful glare.  
  
// I think you would have looked better naked. //  
  
Solera then gave Schuldig a look of mock-horror. "You're evil," she said to him.  
  
"That's nothing new," he replied, smirking.  
  
"Anyway, Amber, make sure you look after Schuldig. I know you like each other, and I won't stand in your way. It'll work out better for you, being on the same team and all."  
  
"What about you and Crawford-san?" asked Amber.  
  
"Don't worry about us. I'll come over occasionally, and who knows, you guys may be able to help Weiss with missions you aren't involved in. Your boss doesn't have to know."  
  
She kissed Nagi on the cheek, and he blushed furiously. "Nagi, I know I can trust you to take care of Farfarello, so do it well, and I won't be mad at you."  
  
To Farfarello, she said, "I know there's someone out there for you, let them come to you. And thank you for staying with me today, you have no idea how much I needed you to talk to."  
  
To everyone's surprise and horror, just as Solera headed for the door, Farfarello spun her around, and kissed her passionately.  
  
Crawford's blood boiled.  
  
Solera took one last look around, blew a kiss to Crawford, and left.  
The flower shop was filled to capacity, and Yohji had to practically swim through the girls to finish watering the flowers. Not that he minded, though. Omi had to contend with some of the girls hitting and kicking each other just to be near him, and as Yohji walked past, he laughed at the sight.  
  
"Damatte, Yohji-kun! It's not funny!" Omi said indignantly.  
  
"From where I am, it is," Yohji replied, jade eyes twinkling.  
  
Aya was at the register, glaring at anyone and everyone, and Ken was hiding out in the back room.  
  
As it neared closing time, the amount of girls got lesser and lesser. At 5 minutes to 5, the bell on the door tinkled.  
  
"Ohayo, minna-san!!"  
  
Omi recognised the voice immediately. "Solera!" He hugged her tightly, and she kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"Omittchi, it's good to be back."  
  
Ken was next in line. Solera kissed him on the cheek. "Ken-kun, is there a soccer match on tonight? If there is, I'll watch it with you. We have some serious catching up to do!"  
  
"Can't wait! I'm glad you're back."  
  
"So am I."  
  
Yohji looked expectant.  
  
"Lips or cheek?" she asked.  
  
"Well, first I have some news. I'm going out with Taia!"  
  
"Congratulations! So I suppose it's safer if I kiss you on the cheek then."  
  
Yohji nodded.  
  
She kissed him on the cheek, "and a kiss on the other one for being such a great friend."  
  
He blushed slightly.  
  
Without hesitation, Aya picked Solera up, spun her around, and kissed her on the nose. "Welcome back, I missed you."  
  
The other three just stood staring at him.  
  
"Tell me I wasn't dreaming, Omi," said Yohji, eyes wide.  
  
"If Ken and I saw it, then you're definitely not dreaming," Omi replied, equally as disturbed.  
  
Solera fainted dead away. Ken caught her, and as Aya went back to the apartment, Yohji spoke again.  
  
"He's making progress."  
  
Ken just grinned like an idiot. Then her remembered what he saw earlier. "Omi, Yohji, I have to tell you this and you probably won't like it. You'd better sit down, and both of you have to promise not to tell Aya. As for Solera, I'll tell her just before the game."  
  
Yohji and Omi sat down, and Ken laid Solera on the floor.  
  
"Anyway, on my way home from soccer today, I cut through the park. Then I saw Solera and the Beserker kissing!"  
  
Yohji nearly fell off his chair. "Solera and Farfarello?! You have got to be joking! He's insane! Is he even capable of doing that?!"  
  
"Ken wouldn't lie. I'm shocked myself, but Farfarello is a living, breathing human being. Just because he's a psychopath, doesn't mean he doesn't know how to like someone."  
  
"You're right, Omittchi, but it's still kinda hard to believe. Our Solera kissing Farfarello? It's just too weird." Yohji shook his head. "I'm going upstairs."  
  
Ken picked up Solera again, and he and Omi followed Yohji to the apartment.  
"Farfarello, why did you kiss Solera?!"  
  
Crawford was answered by silence. He continued, "I didn't want you to touch her! You've probably scared her off now!"  
  
"No I haven't."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I haven't scared her off. I did the opposite, and if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have admitted her feelings for you!" Farfarello said fiercely, throwing a knife at a nearby wall.  
  
// He's right, you know, Brad. //  
  
Crawford glared at Schuldig. // Don't call me Brad, and what do you mean, he's right? //  
  
// Exactly that. I just listened in on their conversation at the park. That's how I came to the conclusion that she didn't want me as much as she wanted you. Maybe you should apologise to Farf. //  
  
// Apologise? Wha- //  
  
Schuldig broke the link, grinning, and walked away.  
  
Crawford started to speak again. "Farfarello, I'm...uh..sorry."  
  
"Apology accepted." Farf went back to his cell.  
  
"Crawford-san, that was kinda harsh, what you said to him."  
  
Crawford faced Nagi. "You know what he's capable of as well as I do. I was just concerned for Solera's safety."  
  
"Your relationship with Solera should've never existed in the first place! Soon you'll have Takatori on your back because your fighting ability isn't up to scratch!"  
  
"Get out of my sight!"  
  
Nagi knew when enough was enough, and disappeared into his room.  
Amber chose that time to tell Schuldig her feelings for him. She knocked softly on his door.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Amber."  
  
"Oh." Silence, then, "Come in."  
  
Schuldig was lying on his bed reading a German magazine. Amber sat on the floor against the wall, and said, "I came in here to tell you something, but it's too hard for me to voice. You have my permission to find out what it is."  
  
She felt him gently probing her mind, and what he found surprised him a little.  
  
"Well, I'd never have guessed it, that's for sure. I have the same feelings for you, but it's too soon for me to start anything. Give it a couple of weeks, then we'll see."  
  
Amber walked over to the bed, and kissed Schuldig. "When you're ready, just tell me, okay?"  
  
Schuldig nodded and Amber went back to her own room.  
  
Schuldig began to think about Solera and the effect she'd had on Crawford, Farf and himself. They'd all gone completely mad over her.  
  
No, wait. Farf was already mad in the first place. Make that just himself and Crawford.  
  
When they arrived at Rosenkreuz, they both thought Solera would forget about them, and boy, were they wrong! She actually came to find them, but why did she have to join Weiss beforehand?  
When Solera got over the shock of being kissed by Aya, she was talkative, and told everyone about her stay at the Schwarz household, being careful to leave out the parts where she and the oldest three Schwarz members did anything.  
  
"You wouldn't think so, but Schuldig is a really good cook! There was always a cooked breakfast waiting for me when I woke up."  
  
Solera saw Omi frown, and said, "Of course, no one can beat your cooking!"  
  
Omi smiled again.  
  
"So, where did you sleep?" asked Yohji.  
  
"In Crawford's bed. It's really big, so we shared, but he slept on top of the blanket."  
  
Aya was suddenly interested in the conversation, and said, "Shi-ne, Crawford! That no-good son of a....why are you staring at me, Yohji?"  
  
Yohji wiggled his eyebrows, "You're overreacting more than usual, Aya. I think I know why."  
  
Aya gave Yohji a death glare and muttered, "I wouldn't tell you anything even if you were the last person alive."  
  
"Come on! Stop acting like little kids!" said Solera, "The only arguments I had to put up with were between Schuldig and Amber, and even they're nicer to each other than you two are!"  
  
"Gomen nasai," came the mumbled reply from the two older assassins.  
  
Ken butted in with, "The game's starting in a few minutes, Sol!"  
  
"Well, I think this is our cue to leave," said Yohji, and he and Omi went up to the tech-room, and Aya went to his room.  
  
Ken made some popcorn, and Solera made herself comfortable on the couch. "Damn! The game's been postponed! This really sucks."  
  
Ken came over and sighed. "Oh well, I wanted to talk to you anyway-"  
  
"Ooh, popcorn! Gomen, you were saying..?"  
  
"I'm going to tell you what I saw you doing, and I want you to tell me why you did it. I saw you and Farfarello kissing at the park earlier today. Why?"  
  
"Oh, you saw that? Well you know I'd never purposely do anything to endanger the team, he made the first move and I went along with it. It was the least I could do, after all, he saved my life."  
  
Ken's eye widened. "He saved your life? How?"  
  
"When I was unconscious, I could feel myself slipping away. Then he said that I had to stay alive for Crawford and Schuldig's sakes, otherwise they would get weak and be killed. I still share a strong bond with them after all these years. I don't know if you knew it, but I've been friends with Crawford for most of my life. That night, when you were all surprised that Crawford didn't kill you, was the first time in six years that I'd seen him, and I realised how much he loved me. Then about a week later, I was attacked by Schuldig, and that was the first time in five years that I'd seen him. I dated him when I lived in America. That's all I'm willing to tell you, so don't ask anymore. Yohji knows about Crawford and Schuldig, and I'm sure Omi does, but no one is allowed to say anything to Aya."  
  
"That's alright, we weren't going to say any thing to Aya anyway. Although Yohji and Omi do know about you and Farf. I had to tell them."  
  
"I understand. I know they wouldn't say anything. You probablydon't realise how difficult it is for me, having friends on both teams.  
  
"I know how hard it is to kill someone you thought was your best friend. I used to be a J-Leaguer but I got kicked off the team when I tested positive for drug use. Turned out my 'friend' Kase Kouichiro had been putting drugs in my water. Later, he was involved in something else, and Weiss were sent after him. I ended up killing him."  
  
Solera ruffled Ken's hair. "A pro soccer player, eh? And you're only 19."  
  
"20 in December," Ken pointed out.  
  
Solera poked her tongue out at him. "I'm still older!"  
  
Ken yawned. "I'll see you in the morning."  
  
"Goodnight, Ken-kun!"  
*hyperventilates* *collapses*  
  
Only 8 more chappies to go. I'm so proud!!  
  
R+R, yada yada..  
  
~BS~ 


	12. An understanding

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss, Koyasu Takehito does, and I think he'd have a fit if he read my fics.. *gets mental image of Koyasu  
  
reading 'INSANITY in the world of Weiss'* *rolls around on the floor laughing*  
  
..... Anyhow, I do own Solera and Amber, and a couple of the voices in my head...^_^  
Chapter 11 - An understanding  
On her way to her own room, Solera stopped by Aya's room. His door was slightly open, and she knocked softly on it.  
  
No answer.  
  
So she opened it the rest of the way.  
  
Aya was lying on his bed, asleep, with the novel he was reading, resting on his chest. The bedside lamp was on.  
  
Solera giggled softly, put a bookmark in the book, grabbed a blanket and put it over him. She kissed him on the forehead and turned the lamp off.  
  
As the door shut again, Aya woke with a start. "Aya-chan?"  
  
He then realised where he was, and fell asleep again, to tired to even try figuring out who kissed him.  
Solera couldn't sleep. She had too many things occupying her mind, so she decided to check her e-mail.  
  
While she had stayed with Schwarz, Nagi had helped her to make up an e-mail address, but it was Schuldig who came up with it. weiss_kitten @ assassins.com(1). It was her only contact with Schwarz. Yohji and the others didn't know about it.  
  
She logged in. There were 2 messages, both video messages.  
  
Thank God for webcam, she thought.  
  
One was from Schuldig, and the other was from an address she didn't recognise: bandages_and_scars @ assassins.com(1). She clicked on it, and there stood Farfarello.  
  
"Uh, hi Solera," he started, "Just checking to see if ye got back okay. Crawford's in a shitty mood and he woulda put me in the straightjacket if I didn't disappear out the window and into Nagi's room. Maybe ye could talk to him."  
  
He paused momentarily to throw a knife at a bird in the window that wouldn't shut up. He hit it between the eyes with amazing accuracy. "Die, dammit!"  
  
Farf faced the webcam again. "Sorry about that. Anyway come over when ye can. If not, I'll see you next time we fight."  
  
The video icon switched off.  
  
// Tag, Liebe. //  
  
Solera was startled. // Don't do that to me, Kio! What do you want? //  
  
// Check my message and see. //  
  
// I was just about to. Now go away so I can check it. // She clicked the icon and this time Schuldig appeared on the screen.  
  
"Ein Problem. I want to go out with Amber and she's the same with me, but then I feel like you'd hate me for it. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't care; I'd do it anyway. But you're special. I value your opinion over anyone else's. So tell me whether or not it's okay with you."  
  
// So...?// Schuldig was being persistent.  
  
// It's fine with me, you should know that. Well, if you'd gone inside my head, you would've known that. //  
  
// I'm sorry I didn't, but I was going to be polite. //  
  
Solera could almost see Schuldig pouting, and she giggled at him. // Go on, go out with her. You know who my heart's set on. //  
  
// Actually, no. You see, it's a toss-up between Crawford, Farf and Abyssinian... //  
  
// Aya?! No! Where are you getting your info from? //  
  
// Your mind. Tschus(2)! //  
  
Solera turned the computer off, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. Little did she know that what Schuldig had said was very true.  
The next morning, Omi woke her up. He was running around the apartment, yelling, "Taia's here! Taia's here!"  
  
It was only 11am, and Yohji was awake and dressed. He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and Taia hanging off one arm. Solera came downstairs wearing her blue cloud pyjamas and her fluffy slippers.  
  
"Why are you up so early, Yotan? You're usually still asleep at this time."  
  
"I'm taking Taia out for lunch," Yohji replied proudly.  
  
Solera leaned over to Taia and whispered, "Don't let him take you to a fast- food place."  
  
"Hey! For your information, I'm taking her to the new teppenyaki restaurant."  
  
"Good. She deserves it," Solera smiled at the two of them. "Now go, have fun."  
  
Taia went out the door first, and Ken said to Yohji, "If we have a mission, we'll fill you in on the details when you get back."  
  
"Thanks! Bye!"  
  
The door shut.  
  
Solera sat on the couch next to Omi, and rested her head on her shoulder. "Omittchi, it's too early. Next time you wake me up before 12, unless it's urgent, I will chase you with my katana."  
  
Her pyjama top was slightly oversize, and the top button was undone, showing a bit of cleavage.  
  
Aya had to keep himself from staring.  
  
She had pale skin, a shade darker than his own. It was lightly freckled, from exposure to the sun.  
  
She changed positions on the couch, and put her feet on Omi's lap. "Your punishment is to be my footrest for the morning."  
  
Omi laughed and said, "The shop won't open itself, you know, and I doubt Ken could handle all the girls. It is Saturday, after all."  
  
"You have to make things difficult for me, ne, Tsukiyono? Alright then, punishment postponed."  
  
Omi hugged her, grabbed Ken and the two boys ran out the door.  
  
"I suppose it's just you and me for the day, Aya-kun."  
  
"Hn," Aya replied.  
  
"Come and talk to me, otherwise I'll be bored senseless!"  
  
"Fine."  
  
Aya put his newspaper down, walked over and sat next to Solera.  
  
"Aya, tell me about yourself. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"  
  
Aya tensed up at the mention of 'sister'. He looked away.  
  
"Aya? Are you okay? Tell me what's wrong."  
  
There was a long pause before Aya finally said, "My parents were killed and my little sister was put in a coma by Takatori, nearly a year ago."  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
He looked at the ground. "Her name is Aya. I took on her name to always remind myself what I was fighting for. My real name is Ran."  
  
"Aya! That's really sad. I understand now why you're never happy. So ya wanna kill Takatori that much, huh?"  
  
Aya nodded slightly. He then sat on the floor in front of the couch. Blinking back tears, he stared at the floor some more. He felt Solera's warm hand on his shoulder. She had a look of sadness in her eyes, like she knew what he was going through.  
  
She put her arms around his neck and gave him a reassuring hug.  
  
Aya's icy exterior melted slowly and he allowed himself to relax. "You remind me of my sister."  
  
"Do I? How?"  
  
"You look like her, and you act like her."  
  
"Well. She's lucky to have such a caring big brother. I don't have any siblings; all I had was my best friend. He protected me, and looked out for me. He still does." Solera got that faraway look, and Aya smiled.  
  
Solera suddenly snapped back to attention, and said, "Now, did you really miss me when I was staying with Schwarz?"  
  
"...Yes."  
  
Aya was glad Solera couldn't see his face, because he was blushing a little. He was still wearing his orange sweater and black pants from the night before.  
  
"I'm surprised you haven't changed your clothes yet. You looked so peaceful sleeping last night; I didn't want to wake you."  
  
"So you were the one who kissed my forehead?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh. Thank you."  
  
"No worries. We need to look after each other, right?"  
  
In reply, Aya put his hand over Solera's.  
  
Wow, she thought, his hands are pretty soft for a guy's.  
  
Aya wasn't used to feeling the way he did. He'd never had time to pay attention to girls his own age. Hell, he'd never made time for it. But this....this was a welcome change in his world.  
  
"Ah, you're not so bad, Aya. Don't take to heart what Yohji says. You know he can be an idiot sometimes."  
  
"I know. But I'm the leader of Weiss, what good am I if I can't control my own team-mates?"  
  
"Well," Solera sat on the floor beside him, "maybe you should loosen the reins a bit, so to speak. I think they'll respect you a lot more for it. You need to stop worrying so much, it's like you're concerned about something. We're all in Weiss because we've had some sort of traumatic past." She stood up again. "How about I get dressed, and we'll go see Aya- chan?"  
  
"I'd like that."  
20 or so minutes later, Aya and Solera wear headed towards Magic Bus Hospital. The hospital corridors were long and silent, but Aya seemed to know where he was going. He soon stopped outside a private room, Aya-chan's room.  
  
It was clean, with a few bunches of flower around, courtesy of the Koneko. Aya-chan lay on the bed in the centre of the room, an almost sad expression on her face.  
  
Aya sat by her bed, holding one of his sister's cold hands in his. Solera stood beside him, and arm draped across his shoulders.  
  
They were like that for about half and hour before Aya got up without warning and began to walk towards the door. Solera followed him.  
  
"Aya, you don't have to be afraid to show your feelings around me. We're on the same side, fighting for the same thing! Talk to me, dammit!"  
  
"What's the point?!"  
  
"Well, for one, some people actually like seeing their friends take on an emotion other than moodiness!"  
  
Aya slowed down.  
  
Solera's tone softened. "Where's the harm in being a little emotional? I am, and I'm even irrational at times. It's good to let feelings like that go."  
  
"You're right."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're...right. I tend to hide my feelings I feel like others won't understand and I don't want to get hurt. I get so frustrated and edgy."  
  
He ran his hands through his hair, and looking slightly worried, he said, "You won't tell the others, will you?"  
  
"You have my word. Now I wanna get home! It's freezing!"  
Back at the apartment, no one was home yet. Solera bent over to unzip her boots, and just as she removed them, Aya wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"Aya? Wha-"  
  
"Shh, don't speak."  
  
She stood up straight and turned around, only to have her lips meet his. She pulled away. "Aya-kun, why are you doing this?"  
  
"I'm tired of living a lie. Ever since you arrived here, I've liked you. I wouldn't admit it to myself because I was afraid that if I did, something would happen to you. But now, I have to face up to it. I don't care if the others find out about this; I'm past the point of caring!"  
  
Aya pulled Solera close and began to kiss her passionately.  
  
Now I know what Schuldig meant, she thought, wrapping her arms around Aya's waist.  
  
They sunk down on the sofa, being careful not to break away. Solera's arms shifted Aya's waist to his neck as she lay back on the sofa. Aya started to nip her neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but just enough that she's know he'd been there. Solera's heart beat faster as he placed feather-light kisses on her collarbone. She lifted his head up, and looking into his violet eyes, she kissed him gently. Aya slipped his tongue into her mouth, and massaged her tongue with his.  
  
At that point, Yohji arrived back from the restaurant. He had taken Taia to the hospital because she had received a call that her grandfather was there. Yohji was not expecting what he saw when he got home. He was so surprised that his glasses fell out of his hand onto the floor. This alerted Aya and Solera to the fact that someone was there.  
  
"I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes, and you're all over each other!" Yohji shook his head in mock disgust. "Having fun?"  
  
Solera waved him away, and she and Aya continued kissing.  
  
Yohji headed towards the shop, humming the tune to "Pop Girl".  
  
Aya and Solera stopped kissing and sat up, breathing ragged. Solera sat on Aya's lap and gazed into his seemingly cold eyes, and for once they weren't hiding anything.  
  
"Well, that was fun, to say the least," Aya said finally.  
  
"Yeah, I agree. Yohji, eat ya heart out, I say!"  
  
The two of them laughed quietly.  
  
"God, you're beautiful." Aya whispered.  
  
Solera leaned further into his embrace. "Aya, you have to take it easy. I've got alot of things to sort out before I can make a decision about us."  
  
"Take as long as you need, I don't mind."  
  
Four people coming through the door interrupted them.  
  
Manx eyed Solera and Aya suspiciously, and Ken said, "What have you done with the real Aya?!"  
  
Solera laughed. "No need to get hysterical, Ken. Manx, do we have a mission?"  
  
"Yes, nothing major though. Just a routine drug bust. Here are the details." Manx handed each of them a few pieces of paper stapled together with mission details on them.  
  
"What, no video?" Solera was being silly, she couldn't help it. She'd been in a strange mood all day.  
  
Manx laughed and rolled her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you. I'll do better next time."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Ja ne."  
  
The door shut with a slam.  
  
"So, Omittchi, what are the details?" asked Yohji.  
  
"Hey! Why do you always expect me to explain these thing?!"  
  
"But you're so good at it!" Yohji pinched Omi's cheeks playfully.  
  
Omi looked up as if to say "Why me?" and proceeded to explain the mission.  
(1)- Email addresses I made up. I don't think you'd get a reply if you sent email to these...  
(2)- German for "see ya later." Email me if there are some phrases or words I forgot to translate, and I'll tell you what they mean.  
R+R, onegai?  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	13. Shattered

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss(or Schwarz for that matter *pouts* I want CRAWFORD!), Koyasu Takehito does, and I think he'd have a fit  
  
if he read my fics.....*gets mental image of Koyasu reading 'INSANITY in the world of Weiss'* *rolls around on the floor laughing*  
  
..... Anyhow, I do own Solera and Amber, and a couple of the voices in my head...^_^  
Chapter 12 - Shattered  
"So, all we have to do is protect a drug lord? Sound's simple enough," said Amber, who was sitting on Schuldig's lap while Crawford was explaining the mission.  
  
"All we gotta do is kick the kittens' asses and then we can go," said Schuldig, smirking.  
  
Nagi snorted. "Schuldig, you, Farf and Crawford wouldn't be able to do it. You're all emotionally tied to Solera, who's part of Weiss whether you like it or not! Even if you destroyed the rest, you couldn't bring yourselves to kill her!"  
  
"Nagi, that's enough!" Crawford raised his hand to silence the boy.  
  
Nagi gave Crawford a death glare and the apartment building shook.  
  
"Come on, Nagi." Farfarello proceeded to carry Nagi to the tech room.  
  
"I can do it myself, thank you very much!" Nagi snapped angrily, and slammed the door behind him.  
  
"Brad, you've got another obstacle in your way of getting Solera."  
  
"Don't call me...who is this obstacle? Not Kudou, is it?"  
  
Schuldig laughed, "Don't get worked up, mein Führer. It's just Abyssinian."  
  
Crawford's eyes narrowed. "Not for long."  
  
He stormed off to get ready, leaving Schuldig and Farf alone to torture each other.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A last-minute weapons check, and Weiss were ready to go. Aya insisted that Solera rode with him. Solera kissed him, and ran downstairs to the car.  
  
Yohji sidled up to Aya. "Well, aren't you a charmer?"  
  
Aya gave Yohji a slight smile.  
  
Yohji nearly choked. "What made you change?"  
  
"Something she said."  
  
"She's had quite an effect on both of us, then."  
  
The two remaining Weiss boys followed after Solera and drove off.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The destination was yet another abandoned warehouse, secluded, with drug lords and addicts alike, wandering in and out. Then Schwarz walked out of the shadows and complicated thing a little. Ken went up against Farfarello, Yohji against Schuldig, Omi and Solera against Nagi and Amber, and Crawford against Aya. They fought hard against each other.  
  
Nagi threw Omi into the wall, and Solera charged at Nag, katana in hand. She managed to slice his arm open a little, but not enough for him to be too concerned. She suffered the same fate as Omi, as Amber made her move.  
  
Ken was busy dodging Farfarello's spike. When he saw Farf pause for breath, he took his chance and made a few jagged gashes in his chest. Farf kicked Ken's legs out from under him, causing him to fall.  
  
Yohji had Schuldig's hands tied with his wire. Schuldig managed to get his arms around Yohji's neck, and attempted to strangle him, but Yohji flipped him and threw him to the ground, releasing Schuldig's wrists from his now slightly-bloodied wire.  
  
Amber and Omi were now engrossed in their own battle. Then Omi threw a dart that hit one of the pressure points in her neck, and she collapsed on the ground like a rag doll.  
  
Meanwhile, the two leaders were standing 20 metres apart, glaring at each other. Then Aya charged at Crawford, not seeing the gun that was pointed at him. Only Solera saw it.  
  
"Goodbye, Abyssinian."  
  
Just as Crawford pulled the trigger, Solera pushed Aya out of the way, and copped the full brunt of the attack.  
  
"SOLERA!!!" screamed Yohji, but it was too late.  
  
Solera had been shot in the stomach 4 times, and was losing blood fast. Crawford stared in shock at what he'd done, and as Weiss sped off to the hospital with Solera, he fell to the ground and cried.  
  
"What have I done?! I shot the only person I ever loved! Why was I such a fool?"  
  
Schuldig sat in the car and began to cry as well. "Nagi's right. We couldn't kill Sol even if our lives depended on it. But now, thanks to my big mouth, she might not live anyway. And if she does, we've succeeded in making her hate us."  
  
Nagi sat in the Crawford's car all the way home with a half smile on his face, hidden by the darkness.  
  
Farfarello was quiet and subdued. This sadness was a new feeling to him, and he still wasn't used to seeing Crawford and Schuldig upset. What would Takatori say? And for once they completed a mission successfully, so why weren't they pleased?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Aya's head was spinning. He couldn't believe what had happened. Solera was in a critical condition, and Aya blamed himself. He had kept a silent bedside vigil for 12 hours, and in that time, he had lapsed back into his old closed-up self.  
  
"Go home and get some sleep, Aya," said Yohji, "If anything happens, I'll call you immediately."  
  
Aya nodded, and walked out of the ICU. Yohji sat down where Aya had been.  
  
It was midday, and the warm sun was shining through the window. They weren't going to open the Koneko for a few days.  
  
Yohji began to contemplate what had happened. Solera had been shot trying to protect Aya. To Yohji, it was obvious that jealousy was a contributing factor as to why Crawford wanted to kill Aya; Schuldig could have told him about Aya and Solera....  
  
Yohji wondered whether or not it was a good idea for Solera to stay in Weiss. Her past had caused a lot of complications since she had joined, and now this.  
  
He became aware of someone else's presence in the room. It was Taia. "Koi, how did you know I was here?"  
  
"Omittchi told me. Do you mind if I sit with you?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Taia sat next to Yohji. "How did this happen?"  
  
"Somebody had it in for her, I guess."  
  
"Are the police going to get involved?"  
  
"None of us want them to. Aya's taken it really hard, he's shut himself off from the rest of us again."  
  
There was silence for a while, except for the beeping machines.  
  
In his mind, Yohji was thinking, Well, Schwarz, I hope you're happy.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Crawford and Farfarello had shut themselves in their rooms.  
  
Crawford had been too upset to eat. He threw himself into his work, and only came out of his room to use the toilet, have a shower and when he had to see Takatori.  
  
Takatori had congratulated him on putting one Weiss member out of action for a while. At that point, Crawford felt like ripping Takatori's throat out. The image of Solera on the ground, covered in blood, was ever-present in the front of his mind. It was like a never-ending horror movie, playing over and over, driving him insane.  
  
"Solera, forgive me!" Crawford buried his face into his pillow and cried.  
  
Farfarello had been trying to cope with his new emotion. He wasn't quite sure how to express it, so he was content with slicing himself open in various places.  
  
Schuldig probed Crawford's mind without resistance and nearly vomited at what he saw. The same disturbing images that Crawford was seeing were now imprinted on Schuldig's memory, and could not be erased.  
  
"I'm so fucked up," he said to himself, "It's just like me to make Crawford jealous enough about something that he'd do something drastic."  
  
Nagi wasn't sure why he was happy. Maybe it was because for once in his life, he had been right about something, and it had caused the temporary downfall of Weiss. But something didn't feel right. Solera had been nothing but nice to him when she was with Schwarz for those two weeks.  
  
"No! I can't let emotions get in the way of business! Crawford did, and look where that got him!"  
  
Nagi went back to surfing the web, his guilt pushed back as far as possible.  
  
Amber noted everyone's reactions. For the past day, her boyfriend hadn't been his usual cheeky self. It had hit Schuldig and Crawford pretty hard; Crawford had been hit the hardest. It saddened her to see this, and she wished there was something she could do about it.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Omi and Ken stopped by the hospital to deliver some flowers. It was a trip they made every week, whether the shop was open or not, and the hospital got the flowers free of charge. Their last stop was the ICU, so they stayed in Solera's room for a while. A nurse came by and Ken asked her how Solera was doing.  
  
"She's in a critical condition, so there's a 50/50 chance she'll survive. She's lost alot of blood."  
  
Omi held one of Solera's hands to his cheek as the nurse left the room.  
  
"It's going to be okay, Solera-chan. You're going to be okay. You have to be!"  
  
Ken hugged Omi, who was crying now.  
  
"Come on Omittchi, let's go home."  
  
Omi nodded and he and Ken left the room.  
Aya was asleep in Solera's bedroom. Suddenly a figure appeared in his subconscience and said to him, "Aya, don't lose hope. The power of love does wonders."  
  
Aya replied, "What would you know? I love my sister to pieces, but she's still comatose! How much more will my love help Solera?"  
  
"More than you know. Don't lose hope."  
  
The figure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and Aya woke up. He rubbed his eyes, and looked around the dark room. Everything was normal.  
  
That was strange, he thought, maybe the figure knew what it was talking about.  
  
Aya was in a state of slight disbelief.  
  
Maybe I'm just tired and shaken up still, he reasoned with himself.  
  
He trudged downstairs, made himself a cup of coffee, and went back upstairs to the training room.  
  
An hour later, he had the rhythm of the sword strokes downpat; he had practised it time and again. But one look over at Solera's practise katana on the wall was all it took, before Aya lost it completely. He smashed all the windows with his katana, and did as much damage as he could.  
  
Yohji, Omi and Ken heard the commotion and raced upstairs to see what was going on.  
  
Yohji yanked the katana out of Aya's hand, and it took the three of them to hold him down and stop him from doing any further damage to the room and himself.  
  
"Aya! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't be so stupid! Trashing the place will not make Solera get any better!"  
  
Aya quit struggling and let Yohji's words sink in. Omi released his hold on Aya's legs, leaving Yohji and Ken to hold him. He looked around at the damage. All 6 windows in the room were smashed, and there were innumerable holes in the walls. Shattered glass covered the floor, and Aya's hands were slashed up.  
  
When Yohji and Ken let go of Aya, he curled into the foetal position on the mat and cried silently. Omi and Ken went back downstairs, while Yohji sat down next to Aya and watched him.  
  
"Shit, Aya. You don't have to handle this on your own."  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Not until you calm down. I'm not going to have you injure yourself further."  
  
Aya grumbled. "You're a pain, Kudou, you know that?"  
  
"I try," Yohji laughed dryly, "This has hit you pretty hard, hasn't it?"  
  
Aya scowled and looked away, his violet eyes focussed on the smashed windows. His tear-stained face told Yohji he was right.  
  
"I'm going for a walk," Aya said, getting up.  
  
Yohji didn't try to stop him. He knew where to find him.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
YAAAAAAY! Another chappy finished! And I left it at a semi-cliffhanger!!!  
  
Ah, yeah. Future warning of character deaths. -___-;;  
  
Read and Review, please?  
  
Or just send chocolate chip cookies. That works too. ^_^  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	14. Regret and Confusion

DISCLAIMER: Ooh, looky! Random disclaimer change!  
  
Don't own the boys *pouts*, but I seriously am working on how to approach the relevant people to own them! Or at least Schwarz. Well, that may not happen... I own Solera and Amber, and Schuldig's imaginary first name. Fear me! I own much! *is belted in the head by Persia, who was using Takatori's patented GolfClub Attack©* *is dazed* Nyeh.....  
Chapter 13-Regret and Confusion  
The cuts on Aya's hands were still bleeding, and were now starting to irritate him. He had tiny shards of glass embedded in his skin, and decided that while he was at the hospital, he'd get it seen to. He did it begrudgingly, knowing that Omi would send him to the hospital if he didn't go willingly.  
  
Aya was seen to immediately because of the state of his hands, and the nurse that was fixing him up was too happy for his liking. He avoided eye contact with her, and grunted his thanks when she'd finished patching him up. His sword hand had been bandaged; it was the worst damaged out of the two, which meant he'd have to use his other hand. He wasn't as good with the other hand, but he could defend himself using it if he had to.  
  
Next stop, Aya-chan's room. Couple of her friends were in the room when Aya walked in. He shot them a glare and they rushed out. He spent about 20 minutes in there, then went to see Solera.  
  
Solera was breathing steadily. On impulse, Aya leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. He felt something grab his wrist. He looked down, and realised what it was.  
  
"Solera?" His voice was barely audible.  
  
"Aya... Where am I? What happened?" Solera tried to get up, but dropped back onto the bed in agony.  
  
"Don't get up. I'll explain what happened as soon as the others get here." Aya rushed off to call Yohji and Manx.  
  
Solera lay still, trying to assess the damage to herself without straining anything. She had bandages from the bottom of her ribcage to her waist. Last she remembered' she was protecting Aya...  
  
The memories of what happened came flooding back, and she felt physically sick, remembering the weapon that was used. "A handgun... Brad. Oh my God."  
  
A couple of tears fell from her eyes. Her best friend had almost killed her. But God, she hoped she was wrong. She'd find out the truth from the others.  
  
She looked around at the flowers that filled the room, and focused on the single white rose in the vase on the bedside table. Then Omi raced in, followed closely by the others. After careful hugs were exchanged, Solera asked, "Who shot me?"  
  
The quiet chatter ceased immediately. Yohji sighed.  
  
"Are you sure you wanna know?"  
  
"Just tell me!" she demanded sharply.  
  
"Okay, okay. It was Crawford."  
  
Solera was in shock. Her worst fears had been confirmed, and she felt like her heart had been ripped out and trampled into the ground. She closed her eyes as the tears rolled down her face. When Aya saw this, he wanted revenge. Not only for Solera, but for himself as well.  
  
"No, Aya," Solera pleaded, "Don't do it. I have something I really need to tell you. Guys," she said to the others, "can we have some privacy?"  
  
"Okay," replied Manx, "I'll see you soon."  
  
Yohji, Ken and Omi hugged Solera and left as well.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I think it's best if you sit down. You may not take this too well."  
  
Aya sat down, unprepared for what he was about to hear. Solera took a deep breath.  
  
"I've know Brad Crawford for most of my life. He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. And I dated Kio Müller, Schuldig, when I was 14. We were together for almost a year. He and Brad were sent to Rosenkreuz, a school for gifted psychics, apparently to develop their powers. They managed to escape from that hell-hole with two others, and ran away to Japan. They were then employed by Este, the people who control Reiji Takatori's actions."  
  
When Solera mentioned Takatori, Aya froze, and was about to speak when Solera said, "There's more. I came to Japan to find them, and the day I arrived was the day I saw Weiss in action. The first mission I went on with you guys, that was the day I met up with Crawford for the first time in 6 years. That was why he didn't attack you guys. He also told me he...he loved me."  
  
The disappointment written all over Aya's face made her hesitate, but she continued anyway.  
  
"I kept it quiet for a while, then Yohj found out. He told Ken and Omi, and we kept it from you because we knew you would do something rash. Then I met up with Schuldig for the first time in 5 years. It wasn't very pleasant, he tried to attack me until he realised who I was. On the mission where the building exploded, Farfarello saved my life. They took me to their place and kept me there for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, Crawford told me he needed me, but was willing to let me go home. Schuldig gave up trying to win me over, and he's with Amber now. Farfarello has a thing for me now, too, and Crawford isn't happy about it. And I'm assuming Schuldig told Crawford about you and me. Jealousy does strange things to people..."  
  
Solera trailed off as Aya began to speak.  
  
"And that's why you're in hospital. If I told you I didn't want to kill him, then I'd be lying. I...I just don't know what to think. So, this is what you meant by needing to sort things out."  
  
"Aya, don't be mad at me."  
  
Aya looked into Solera's hazel eyes. "I have no right to be mad. You saved my life."  
  
He kissed her and left, confused and bewildered.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Solera was released from hospital a week later, but she was told to take it easy. Aya arrived at the hospital as early as he could to pick her up, but drove home slowly so as not to hurt her.  
  
As soon as they arrived home, Solera said hi to everyone, and announced that she was going for a walk.  
  
"I don't know what time I'll be back, so don't wait up." With that said, she headed for the door.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
At the Schwarz residence, Crawford was still noticably upset, but he had gotten his appetite back.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Amber answered it.  
  
"He's in his room," she said to Solera, who was standing at the doorway.  
  
Solera went straight to Crawford's room. It was messy, something Brad would never let happen, but given the situation, he hadn't been bothered to clean it. He was laying on his bed, eyes closed.  
  
"Crawford, wake up!"  
  
Crawford, was startled awake by those three words. He looked around to see where the word were coming from. Solera was looking at him, shaking her head in disappointment.  
  
"Why, Brad?"  
  
He broke down, crying on her shoulder. "I was jealous, I thought I had a real reason to kill him, but you tried to protect him and... Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Shh, it's okay. I'm alive, that's all that matters." By this point, Solera was crying as well. "I still need to sort out my feelings. You, Aya and Farf will just have to make allowances-"  
  
Crawford's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Farf has to make allowances too? What exactly happened that time you two were at the park?"  
  
"He was a shoulder to cry on, but he wanted more. He wanted to make me happy. It's not like he wanted sexual favours or anything. It was an innocent kiss, and I got caught up in the moment, that's all!"  
  
Crawford's eyes narrowed further.  
  
"Don't look at me like that, Brad! Come on! All those years we were apart, for all I knew, you and Kio could have been dead! I've been nothing but confused since I first arrived here! Give me a break!"  
  
Crawford closed his eyes. "Alright, I'm sorry. I still want you with me though."  
  
This time it was Solera's turn to glare at him.  
  
"Okay, point taken. I won't press the issue," he kissed her gently, "I'm just glad you're alive. I could live with myself had I killed you."  
  
"Brad, do me a favour. Don't use your emotions as an excuse to kill people. It's save you a lot of trouble."  
  
She kissed him goodbye, and headed for the living room.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Schuldig was sitting in the living room, staring at the ceiling. He was still as upset as Crawford, but at least he was fairly active.  
  
"Schuldig."  
  
Schuldig almost jumped off the couch. The voice had startled him. He looked up as Solera walked up to him and slapped him hard across the face.  
  
"Why did you tell Brad about me and Aya?! Because of you, I almost died protecting Aya!"  
  
Schuldig touched his cheek gingerly. // I...deserved that. \\  
  
// Damn right, you did! \\  
  
Schuldig fell back onto the couch. "...It was because of me that you almost died..."  
  
"Am I hearing an echo? I thought you were my friend! Friends don't make friends jealous to the point of- AAH!!"  
  
Solera dropped to the floor in agony. Schuldig didn't even have to think before dropping to the floor beside her.  
  
"What's wrong?" His voice was frantic as he tried to get her attention.  
  
"I-I don't know...I just got out of hospital today and...and maybe the wounds have opened up again..." Solera's voice was barely a whisper.  
  
Schuldig scanned her mind, and the thoughts that were going through there scared him.  
  
// Maybe I should have died, then I wouldn't be involved in this mess. What kind of existance do I live if I've been shot by a friend because of jealousy, even if the gun wasn't aimed me? It's just too hard for me to go on. I wish I was dead. \\  
  
"No, Sol! You've come too far! Stop thinking like that!"  
  
Solera glowered at Schuldig. "Can you stop reading my mind, and do something constructive, like getting me some painkillers?"  
  
In a few moments, Schuldig was back with some painkillers and a glass of water. He helped Solera to sit up. She took the pills, then collapsed into Schu's arms.  
  
Then, without warning, Farfarello walked into the living room, picked her up and carried her to his cell. Schuldig was stunned, and he wasn't quite sure why.  
  
// Sleep. I need sleep. Solera should be able to handle herself. Farf doesn't want to hurt her. I know fully well what he's going to do, but for the sake of friendship, I won't tell Crawford. \\  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Farfarello lay Solera down on his bed and knelt on the bed beside her. He nuzzled her cheek as a cat would, and began nibbling softly on her earlobe. Solera shivered. She wasn't shocked, she knew what was coming, but she was too weak to refuse, or even care.  
  
His arms encircled her waist, and she responded by kissing him. Then she winced, realising how sore she still was.  
  
"I'm sorry, did I hurt ye?"  
  
"No, it kinda hurts anyway. I should be fine."  
  
"Good."  
  
As he began to undress her, she realised she was in too deep, trying to juggle three men at once. She could barely handle one.  
  
The cell door slammed shut.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
It was nearly midnight, and Solera still wasn't back. Yohji was pacing up and down in front of the door, and Aya was reading a newspaper.  
  
He noticed his anxious comrade and asked, "Why are you so worried? You acting like a father."  
  
Yohji stopped pacing and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I'm too young for fatherhood. More like an older brother. I mean, what if something bad has happened to her?"  
  
"I'd never forgive myself for letting her go out."  
  
Yohji blinked. "Then how come you're so bloody calm?!"  
  
Aya ignored him. That question didn't deserve an answer.  
  
"Okay, I should have known you wouldn't answer me." Yohji flopped down on the couch. "If she's not home by two, I'm going to look for her."  
  
"So you're going to wait up for her?"  
  
"Damn right, I am!"  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
2am arrived. Aya had not long gone to bed, and Yohji was asleep on the couch. The door creaked open, waking him.  
  
"Solera, is that you?"  
  
"Yeah." Her voice was sad.  
  
"Wanna talk about anything?"  
  
Solera sat beside Yohji and cried. "I didn't mean for it to happen, it just happened!"  
  
"Whoa, start fom the beginning. What happened?"  
  
"I went over to see Schwarz. Crawford and I discussed stuff, then I lost my temper with Schuldig and slapped him, then collapsed. I think I made my injuries worse by stressing out. Then Farfarello carried me to his cell and we..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"God, I feel so guilty...We had sex. I couldn't refuse. I didn't want to refuse, and it was a temporary escape from sanity."  
  
"You and Farfarello? Sol..."  
  
"Look! I don't need a lecture from you! You're the last person I need to tell me what I did was stupid!"  
  
"Gomen nasai."  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just that since I arrived here in Japan, life has been pretty hectic and rough on me. I haven't even really been given a chance to sort my life out. Then to be told I had to either join Weiss or be killed by someone on the outside was just a little too much for me to handle."  
  
She leaned on Yohji's chest when he put his arm around her. Soon she fell sleep, so Yohji picked her up and carried her to Aya's room, where Aya was abruptly woken up.  
  
"Yohji! What are you doing in here?" Aya whispered harshly.  
  
"Solera's had a rough night.I thought she'd sleep better in here with you than if she was in her own room."  
  
Aya rolled his eyes and moved over to make room for the sleeping figure. Yohji lay her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her.  
  
"Oyasuminasai, you two."  
  
The door clicked shut.  
  
Aya could only see the outline of Solera's body. She rolled over and rested her arm over his bared chest. He smiled and held her close.  
  
I'm not even going to bother explaining this to Omi if he sees us like this, Aya thought as he drifted off to sleep.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
I FINALLY got this chappy typed up! I feel so proud, but then again, I feel so lazy for not having it typed up sooner...  
  
Anyway, Read, Review, Send cookies. PLEASE????? *puppy dog eyes*  
  
Luv ya'z  
  
~Blue Silhouette~ 


	15. Confrontation

Story: Fire and Ice  
  
Authoress: Allegra Monet AKA Blue Silhouette  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: I own Solera, and the other characters that have nothing to do with the actual series.  
  
Chapter 14 - Confrontation  
  
The next morning when Aya woke up, he saw Solera looking at him intently.  
  
"Aya, I'm glad you're awake. Ummm.. How come I'm in here?"  
  
"Yohji told me that you'd had a rough night. He thought you'd probably sleep better if you were with me."  
  
"He was right." Solera stood up and stretched.  
  
"Anything wrong?"  
  
She sighed. I knew that was coming, she thought to herself, but I can't lie to him. "Yes, Aya, there are plenty of things wrong. I don't want to tell you yet, because what I did was stupid, and I really regret it. That's all you need to know."  
  
"Oh." Aya stood beside her and put his arms around her. "I don't like seeing you hurt, that's all."  
  
Solera kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me, the tech-room awaits!" She disappeared out of the room, leaving Aya by himself.  
  
"I don't understand women," he said to himself before going downstairs to breakfast.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Solera checked her email. There was only one message in her inbox, from Crawford. He doesn't like using the webcam, she mused. Opening the message, she began to read:  
  
Solera,  
I know what happened between you and Farfarello. Schuldig  
didn't tell me, but anyone could see he was worried about  
something. I knew because he stayed out of my way for the  
most part this morning. It was Nagi who told me. Apparently  
he and Farfarello had an in-depth conversation about it.  
What you and another person do is your business, but I want  
to know why. What happened to the "innocent kiss"? I'm  
worried about you. I can't help but feel responsible for  
your actions somehow. Was last night to get back at me?  
I'm not sure what to think anymore.  
  
~Brad~  
  
Solera was close to tears. Why could he just yell at her face to face? She couldn't handle the "nice" approach. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, clicked the reply button, and began to type:  
  
Brad,  
I regret what happened last night. Friends are truthful to  
each other, even if it hurts. So I'm prepared to hurt you  
with the truth. I just hope you're ready to read this.  
I could have refused to do anything with Farf last night.  
He didn't force himself on me, or try to make me submit. I  
did it of my own free will. I don't expect you to  
understand this, but I needed an escape, someone who  
wouldn't more from me than what I had. It was crazy, and  
stupid, and only made me more confused. I don't know. I do  
know that I'm not going to let it happen again, but now I  
feel like the Berserker and I share a bond. Maybe you  
should try and find out what makes your teammates tick, how  
they think. Apparently I'm the only one who understands  
them.  
  
~Love Solera~  
  
When the email was sent, Solera logged out, turned the computer off and bounded down the steps, nearly knocking Omi over.  
  
"Sorry, Omittchi!!" she called out cheerfully as she headed for the shower.  
  
"She's gone through major mood swings since the last mission," noted Ken.  
  
"Who used all the hot water?!" came the angry cry from the bathroom.  
  
"And I think she's getting worse," replied Yohji, looking guilty.  
  
Aya glared at Yohji, arms crossed.  
  
Yohji looked a little unsettled at this look from the swordsman. "Okay, okay, I'll open the shop. Just quit glaring at me like that, will ya?!"  
  
Then the four of them headed down to the shop.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When the shop opened, a stampede of girls rushed in, almost knocking poor Ken over. Cries of "Yohji-san!" "Aya-san!", "Kenken!" and "Omittchi!!" filled the shop.  
  
"Usually, I love to be surrounded by girls, but why am I suddenly dreading it now?" sighed Yohji.  
  
"Yotan, I'm here!"  
  
Suddenly the shop was silent as every head turned towards the door. It was Taia. She ran up and kissed Yohji. "Need my help today?"  
  
"Yeah, with the six of us, things should run smoothly," Yohji replied.  
  
There was a commotion as the girls talked amongst themselves about this new event. Soon every single one of the girls had disbanded and regrouped around their new favourite boy. Aya stood wide-eyed, then a sly smile crept across his face. Ken saw it.  
  
"Aya, you wouldn't dare!"  
  
"Oh, wouldn't I?"  
  
Solera came into the shop, put on an apron and took her place behind the counter. Aya walked over to her and gave her such an electrifying kiss that she nearly fainted. A gasp sounded throughout the shop. Ken and Omi stood wide-eyed, knowing what was coming next. As the millions of fangirls crowded around them, Omi cried out, "Aya-kun! How could you!"  
  
Yohji nearly fell over, he was laughing so hard. "I didn't know you had it in you, Aya!" he managed to say between breaths.  
  
Aya shrugged, now smirking.  
  
"Aya!" Solera scolded, blushing furiously, "not in the shop!" She tugged on one of his eartails to emphasise the point.  
  
"Hey, not so rough!" he replied, shooting her a mock-glare.  
  
They worked until 5pm. Solera and Taia went down to a popular nearby café while the boys shut up shop. The girls ordered coffee, and sat at an outside table. As they began to talk, a hand tapped Solera on the shoulder.  
  
"Guten Abend[1] ladies, mind if we join you?"  
  
Solera looked up to see Schuldig and Amber grinning down at her. "Uh...yeah, okay." She couldn't actually refuse because Taia would think she was being impolite.  
  
Schuldig and Amber took up residence in the two spare seats.  
  
"Taia, this is Kio and his girlfriend Amber. Kio and Amber, this is Taia."  
  
"Hi," said Taia, smiling, "I've seen you before, haven't I, Kio?"  
  
"Ach, ja, that time I was looking for Solera and she wasn't in the shop. I found her not long after I left, too. She was with..er.."  
  
"Yohji," Solera finished for him.  
  
Taia and Amber hit it off really well, and spoke like they'd known each other for years. Taia was none the wiser that the man who sat opposite her was the one who captured her. It crossed her mind once, but she dismissed the notion as silly.  
  
"Amber, Taia, could you excuse us for a moment?" Solera dragged Schuldig off somewhere so they could talk privately.  
  
"Kio, if you came here to tell me how stupid I was for sleeping with Farf, I know already! And courtesy of Nagi, so does Brad!"  
  
"I know."  
  
"So why didn't you stop Nagi from saying anything? Why didn't you stop us from doing anything in the first place? Why?"  
  
"I didn't want our friendship more messed up than it already is."  
  
"Dammit, Kio! You didn't invade my mind like you normally do!"  
  
"Regrettably, I knew what was going to happen before you did."  
  
"Schuldig! Telling me that you could have stopped it, but chose not to, doesn't make me feel any better!"  
  
"Entschuldigung[2], Little Miss Spitfire," Schuldig was beginning to get angry, "but last time I 'invaded' your mind and told someone about it, I was slapped across the face! What am I supposed to do, Solera? It's done, it's over, you regret it, and you've resolved never to do it again! If you get any worse, I'll have to knock some sense into you!" He kicked the wall out of frustration. "Be honest with yourself. Who does your heart tell you to be with?"  
  
Solera sighed, "I don't know! I've got too many things going on in my head. I'm so confused!" After a moment's silence, she spoke up again. "I have an idea. It might be a little risky for the both of us, but would you be able to try and clear some of the thoughts from my mind? Maybe, just maybe, I wont be so confused." She gave Schuldig a pleading look. He turned his back on her. "Es tut mir wirklich Leid[3], Schuldig."  
  
He faced her again. "You mean it?"  
  
"Of course I do, Kio! I spoke in your native language to show you how sincere I am. Don't brush me off, I need you."  
  
Schuldig softened his gaze, and the mischievous sparkle was back in his eyes in no time. He hugged Solera tightly. "I'll try to clear your thoughts a little, but I'm not promising anything. Usually I put thoughts into people's minds, not take them out. I think we should do it in private though. Go and tell Taia you have to go. I'll tell Amber what's happening. She wont be happy with it, but she'll just have to cope with it for the time being. We'll do it tonight at the Schwarz apartment." He took off.  
  
When Solera told Taia she had to go, Taia replied, "Oh, that's okay. I have to meet Yohji in a few minutes anyway. We're going to the movies."  
  
Solera smiled at her. "Have fun. I'll catch up with you later."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Amber was soon by herself, and decided that now was the time to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, to Mr Takatori about a little Weiss kitten. Crawford-san would definitely be in trouble. Amber hated Crawford with a passion. In her words, he was "anal retentive and self-centred". No one, not even Schuldig, knew why Amber was with Schwarz. Takatori had placed her there as a spy.  
  
He had info from when Crawford first arrived at Rosenkreuz, and he knew all about Solera Maxwell, thanks to Jacob Crawford and Gerhard Müller. Add Schuldig to the concoction, and you had more twists and turns than a roller coaster. After Takatori milked the men of information, he had them killed.  
  
Ah, thought Amber, perfect blackmail material. ¾ of Weiss didn't have a clue what was going on with Solera, Crawford and Farf. Except for that damned Balinese. She had Schuldig to thank for that vital piece of information.  
  
[1] good evening [2] Excuse me, Sorry [3] I'm really sorry  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yaaaaay!! Another chappy finished!! Yeah I know I've been really lazy, and much to the disgust of some of you, I haven't been posting up like I should be ^^;;; *dodges bricks*  
  
Another 3 chappies to go, and then this story is complete!!  
  
~Allegra Monet~ 


	16. Betrayal

Story: Fire and Ice  
  
Authoress: Allegra Monet AKA Blue Silhouette  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: I own Solera, and the other characters that have nothing to do with the actual series.  
  
Chapter 15 - Betrayal  
  
On the way to the Schwarz apartment, Solera stopped by the Koneko to tell Aya, Ken and Omi that she was going out. They said goodbye, but Omi ran after her.  
  
"Why are you going out? Where are you going?"  
  
"I'll tell you, but you can't say anything to Aya or Ken. You can tell Yohji, I trust him. Anyway, I'm going to see Schuldig-"  
  
Omi gasped, "Schwarz?!"  
  
"Shh, Omi! I'm only going to see Schuldig. I've got a lot of things going on in my head, and I think he can clear it up. Just don't go completely crazy on me. I'll be fine. See ya later, I'll be back around 10." She kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Look after yourself, then." Omi whispered after her.  
  
Solera arrived, and was greeted by Schuldig.  
  
"I'm ready," she said as she stepped inside.  
  
"We'll go to my room. It's quieter, and I'll be able to concentrate more. This way," he said, smiling, as he took her by the hand, and led her to his room.  
  
She sat on the bed, and Schuldig sat beside her "Close your eyes and let your shields down. Just a warning, this may bring back things you've been trying to forget. Do you still want to go through with it?"  
  
Solera nodded.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Amber waited outside Takatori's office, filing her nails. He's taking his time, she thought, feeling annoyed.  
  
"Amber," she looked up to see Takatori holding the door open for her, "I believe you have some important information for me?"  
  
"Yes sir." Amber entered the large office and sat across from him at his desk. "There have been frequent visits to our apartment by one of the Weiss members, Bengal. She is the only female, and she appears to have had a history with both Crawford and Schuldig. Now, only Balinese knows about Bengal's history, and Bengal also appears to have started a relationship with Abyssinian. Crawford has been getting soft and emotional because of her. When Schuldig told him about Bengal and Abyssinian, he got jealous and tried to shoot Abyssinian, but shot Bengal instead when she was trying to protect him. Crawford wouldn't talk to anyone while she was in hospital. The day she was released, she came over. She forgave Crawford, then proceeded to yell at Schuldig. She collapsed and Farfarello carried her to his room. She made no resistance, I believe. Right now, Bengal is with Schuldig, who's trying to clear her mind. Apparently, she's 'confused', and hopes this will help her decide whether to stay with Abyssinian or Crawford."  
  
Takatori smirked. "I'm impressed. This is better than what I asked for."  
  
"Yes, and most of this was courtesy of my 'dear' boyfriend Schuldig. He told me willingly."  
  
Takatori arched an eyebrow. "Interesting. Are you sure that the rest of Schwarz don't know you're a spy?"  
  
"No. Mental shields on maximum. I was raised by Esset and Rosenkreuz. Do you doubt my ability?"  
  
Reiji Takatori was clearly amused by this. "Thank you Amber. You have proven yourself to be useful. That is all."  
  
Amber nodded and walked out of the office.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Schuldig had finished clearing some of Solera's thoughts. The roughest part for him was when he brought forward the memory of their last day together, the day he himself had forgotten about because it was too painful to think about. He nearly lost his handle on things when it came back, causing him to yelp in pain.  
  
Both of them were weak, physically and emotionally, and were leaning on each other for support.  
  
Solera rested her chin on Schuldig's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"My pleasure, Sol. I still can't believe that by some strange twist of fate, you found me and Brad in the same place."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Hey, try and go into someone's mind to see if you've got your strength back. It has to be some one outside of the apartment, though."  
  
"Okay, I'll try Amber. I've tried to get into her mind many times, and succeeded only once because she let me. I wonder what she could be hiding that's so important that she has to keep the shields on maximum all the time?" He managed to sneak into her mind unnoticed. She must have left the shields down accidentally. Now we're in business, he thought to himself.  
  
He tiptoed around different thoughts, until one caught his attention. A look of dread spread across his face. "Scheisse! She just told Takatori about you!" Schuldig had just enough time to get out of Amber's mind before the shields strengthened again.  
  
Panic gripped Solera, and Crawford, who'd just had a vision, ran into the room. "What else, Schuldig?" he asked, unable to keep calm.  
  
"Well, my father and your father were interrogated about anyone who, six years ago, might've know about our abilities. Sol's name came up, and they've been trying to find her. Now she's joined Weiss, that makes it easier for Takatori to find and destroy her." Schuldig's voice wavered and his gaze hardened, not a hint of mischief in his green eyes.  
  
"That confirms my vision," said Crawford, head in his hands, "Solera, you have to run!"  
  
"Crawford, it gets worse." Crawford stared at Schuldig in disbelief, as Schuldig continued. "We're next on the list. It seems that my 'darling' Amber has clued Takatori in on everything that has happened since Solera came back into our lives, including when you shot her and the events that occurred in that time. I don't think even Farf and Nagi are safe."  
  
Crawford paled. "Betrayed by the newest member of Schwarz....Why didn't I see this sooner?"  
  
"Guys! Get a grip! We have to stick together this time, no matter what! I have a feeling Amber will be back soon, so I'm going to go now. Meet me tomorrow morning at the café near the Koneko, where we can discuss this further." She hugged them both good-bye, and left just as Amber came in.  
  
"Hey Schu," Amber said sweetly, "did you miss me?"  
  
She wants to pretend, thought Schuldig, I can pretend too. "Ja, I did. Where did you go after Solera and I left?"  
  
"Oh, I was just visiting a friend."  
  
Crawford heard that last part from the kitchen, and nearly laughed out loud. It would have been out of sarcasm, because Esset employees weren't allowed to have friends. It was a big risk, as he and Schuldig had found out. It took a lot of strength for Crawford to stop himself from pulling out his gun and shooting Amber. He just hoped Solera had some ideas, or he may as well kiss his own life goodbye.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Guys! Come here, I need your help!"  
  
Aya was first down the stairs when he heard Solera. She was paler then usual, and her eyes had a look of absolute terror in them. "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling her into his arms. Ken and Omi sat on the couch.  
  
"Where's Yohji? We need Yohji!"  
  
"Shh, calm down, I'll call him," said Ken, concerned for Solera.  
  
"And Manx, too!!"  
  
Omi was worried as to what frightened Solera so much. Around 20 minutes later, everyone, including Manx, was assembled in the den.  
  
"You're lucky I was just dropping Taia off as you called!" Yohji snapped. "What was so urgent? Not another mission?"  
  
"No, Yohji!" Solera snapped back, "My life is in serious danger! Basically, the story is, I've been making frequent visits to Crawford and Schuldig. They're my friends no matter how much you don't want them to be. Schwarz's newest member told Takatori about me. Apparently Takatori has been trying to find me for 6 years because I knew about Schuldig and Crawford's abilities. He will stop at nothing until I'm dead. Amber added more info to the list, and the whole of Schwarz are most probably going to be killed as well, just because Takatori thinks they're all emotionally involved with me, in some way or another. Takatori thinks they're getting weak. Amber has betrayed Schwarz. I don't want them to die either!"  
  
"But they're the enemy!" said Manx, stunned.  
  
"Manx, I've known Schuldig and Crawford for many years. We're only fighting because we have to. They can't get out of Schwarz, just like I can't get out of Weiss! Please help them, I'm begging you! They hate Takatori as much as we do! Please, Manx!"  
  
Aya's anger rose. "Takatori will have to get through me before he kills you!"  
  
Manx sighed. "I personally don't like the idea, but I'll talk to Persia about it. Expect an email tomorrow morning, Solera."  
  
"Thank you, Manx." It came out sort of muffled because Solera had her face buried in Aya's chest.  
  
Manx said goodnight, and left.  
  
"I don't like this one bit, Sol," said Yohji with a sigh, "but if Takatori wants a fight to the death, he's got one."  
  
Omi went up to the tech-room and did an in-depth background check on Amber. "Solera-chan, come quick! You need to see this!"  
  
Solera ran up the stairs to check Omi's findings.  
  
"I've managed to hack into government files. I looked up Amber's file and under occupation, it says, 'Special Task Force, espionage'. I says nothing about her being in Schwarz!"  
  
"That means she's a....a spy!"  
  
"Yep, not an assassin at all, which explains why she didn't try very hard to kill us. She was given orders not to by Takatori."  
  
"So he wants to kill me himself? Fine. I've got you guys with me, plus Schwarz, if Persia gives it the thumbs up." Solera sighed. "Omi, I'm really scared. I didn't want to do this in the first place; all I wanted was a normal life. I wanted to find my friends, meet a man, settle down, and maybe have a couple of kids. But, on the plus side, I found my friends, and I have my pick of three guys, even if two of then are with Schwarz."  
  
"Do you have parents back home?"  
  
"No, they died in a car crash a few years back, so I lived with my grandparents until I came here. I miss then\m sometimes, but I cant help thinking that they'd be in danger now if they were still alive. What about you, chibi?"  
  
A pained look spread across Omi's face. "I don't remember my parents. Weiss are my family now."  
  
Solera put a comforting arm around the teen. "Lets go tell the guys about our findings, okay?"  
  
Omi nodded, and they went back to the den.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Solera raced into the tech-room. A message from Manx appeared on the screen. It read:  
  
Persia has given the temporary  
Weiss/Schwarz merger the go-ahead, but you  
are going to be held responsible if  
Schwarz turn on Weiss. Bring Schwarz here  
by 12, and we'll discuss tactics.  
  
"Yes!" Solera let out a sigh of relief. Grabbing a piece of toast from the kitchen table, she walked out the door.  
  
On her way through the shop, she saw Omi. "Omi-kun, you're coming with me."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"To get Schwarz."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
15 chapters down, one more to go.. R+R, please!!! I have cookies to share with you!  
  
~Allegra Monet ^^~ 


	17. Secrets

Story: Fire and Ice  
  
Authoress: Allegra Monet AKA Blue Silhouette  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: I own Solera, and the other characters that have nothing to do with the actual series.  
  
Chapter 16 - Secrets  
  
"What do you mean, 'We're going to get Schwarz'?"  
  
Solera looked pityingly at the seemingly clueless teenager. "Persia said that considering the situation, Schwarz can help us fight against Takatori."  
  
"But what if they take advantage of the situation and try to kill us?"  
  
"Then that's my fault. Have a bit of faith in me, Omi. I wont let them do anything."  
  
Omi sighed. "Okay, where are we meeting them then?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Crawford and Schuldig sat waiting at the café.  
  
"Any news on our little traitor?" asked Crawford.  
  
"Nein. Her shields are up even when she's asleep! Even asking her about it would be like trying to get blood out of a stone."  
  
A waitress walked up with their coffees.  
  
"Danke schön[1]." Schuldig winked at her, and she giggled and walked away.  
  
Crawford looked on in disgust. "Must you?!"  
  
Schuldig shrugged. "What else am I gonna do til Sol gets here?"  
  
"Drink your latte!"  
  
"Hey guys!"  
  
Crawford looked up to see Solera and Omi running towards them. Solera gave each of them a hug and a kiss, and sat down. Schuldig smirked at Omi, who glared back.  
  
// Calm down, Bombay, we're not going to attack or anything. //  
  
Omi sighed deeply and sat down next to Solera. "Crawford, Kio, meet Omi, AKA Bombay," Solera said, smiling.  
  
"Solera, why did you bring him?" asked Crawford.  
  
"He has some info on Amber that you may wanna hear. Omi?"  
  
"Hai," Omi replied, and then looked at Crawford and Schuldig. "Solera and I managed to hack into the government database and found Amber's file. After reading it carefully, we discovered that she isn't actually a member of Schwarz."  
  
Solera continued for him. "Takatori sent her in as a spy under the guise of a new member, just to see what you'd do if you knew I was on the opposing team. Now he's going to us all, because he thinks he has a reason to. Without Weiss, he'll have complete control of all criminal organisations, and Tokyo will never be safe, and he'll do anything to enable him to have control, even if it means destroying Schwarz as well. So here's my proposal," she said, staring both Crawford and Schuldig in the eyes, "You come and join Weiss to defeat Takatori once and for all. This was already pre-approved by Persia and the rest of Kritiker. So what do you say?"  
  
Crawford thought for a moment. "We're in."  
  
"Good. Bring Nagi and Farfarello to the Koneko. Manx will fill you in on the details when you get there."  
  
Omi and Solera said their farewells, and went back the way they came.  
  
"So, Amber's a spy, huh?" mused Schuldig, lighting a cigarette, as he usually did when he was stressed.  
  
"Even worse, she's trying to get us killed. And to think that this wouldn't've happened had we done what we first set out to do when we arrived in Japan," Crawford replied miserably.  
  
"What? Destroy Esset? Nein, we probably would have been forced into this anyway."  
  
"Schuldig, I hate it when you make sense. Anyway, we need to go and get the others. We have a Farfarello to tranquillise."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Schuldig and Crawford arrived back at the apartment, they found it completely trashed. Nagi and Farf sat on the couch, wearing solemn expressions, and Amber was laying in the centre of the mess in the living room.  
  
"What in the hell happened? Nagi, did you...?"  
  
Nagi shook his head at Crawford. "People came. They trashed the place looking for you and Schuldig. Farf and I hid in his cell until they left, and we found all this."  
  
"What about her?" he asked, pointing at Amber.  
  
"Farf leapt at her when she had her back to us, and knocked her out. I couldn't wake her."  
  
"Good."  
  
Nagi was shocked. Schuldig was HAPPY his girlfriend was unconscious? "Why is it good?"  
  
"Amber has been sent to us by Takatori as a spy. I'll explain on the way o the Koneko."  
  
"The Koneko? Huh? Crawford, what's happening?"  
  
"We're joining with Weiss to defeat Takatori because all our lives are at risk. Lets go before Amber wakes up."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Solera brought Schwarz into the mission room.  
  
"I can't believe we're doing this," said Yohji, staring at Schuldig.  
  
"You think we aren't the same way, Balinese?" snapped Schuldig.  
  
"No arguing please, guys. We came here to discuss, not argue."  
  
Manx walked into the room. "I'm sure you all know why you're here. Schwarz, any news?"  
  
Crawford spoke for them. "Our place was trashed when some of Takatori's men were looking for Schuldig and I. Farfarello and Nagi hid from them, and Farfarello knocked Amber out."  
  
"Has Bengal informed you that Amber is a spy?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Weiss, Schwarz, this is your final task."  
  
There was complete silence as Manx loaded the videotape. Persia's silhouette appeared on the screen. "Weiss, Schwarz, its time I told you who I really am." Suddenly light was shed on the man who spoke. "I am Police Chief Shuuichi Takatori, Reiji Takatori's brother."  
  
An audible gasp sounded from the assassins assembled in the room.  
  
"I made Weiss to defeat my brother. Now it appears the time has come for that to happen. Everything you've done until now has been a lead-up to this. All of your lives have been put at risk, and it stems all the way back to when Bengal, Oracle and Mastermind were teenagers, as I'm sure Bengal has explained. You're all going to have to work together, but keep in mind my brother has the defence forces working for him. They have been guarding him around the clock for some time now. Manx and I will help you, as will the rest of Kritiker. Do what you have to do. You have my permission to kill, if deemed necessary. See you all soon." The screen went blank, and Manx retrieved the video.  
  
"So, this is the moment I've been waiting for," said Aya solemnly.  
  
Just as Manx walked out of the room, she said, "Everyone get ready. We're doing this tonight."  
  
[1] Thank you very much.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Woo! I made a mistake on the last chapter. I said that there was going to be 2 more chapters. I meant 3. So now, there are definitely only 2 more chapters left. ^^;;;  
  
Anyhow, Read and Review. Reviews are greatly appreciated. It lets me know you care ^^  
  
~Allegra Monet~ 


	18. Preparation

Story: Fire and Ice  
  
Authoress: Allegra Monet AKA Blue Silhouette  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: I own Solera, and the other characters that have nothing to do with the actual series.  
  
Chapter 17 - Preparation  
  
The mission room was empty, except for Aya, Solera and Crawford. Aya and Crawford were wary of one another, and exchanged glares over Solera's head.  
  
"Guys, I know what you're doing. You're making me nervous, so stop!"  
  
This sudden outburst startled the two men, and Aya stood up and stalked over to the closest wall.  
  
"Why does life have to be so confusing, and how can I choose between two wonderful guys without hurting someone's feelings over it?" Solera grumbled, slumping heavily against Crawford's shoulder.  
  
Aya walked back over to Solera and held her hands. "No matter what happens, I'll...I'll still love you," he said with a heavy sigh. "You joining Weiss gave me the ability to love again. Fate was kind that day."  
  
This admission from the stoic, seemingly cold-hearted swordsman meant a lot to Solera, and she hugged both men tightly. "Guys, I'm scared. I don't know what'll happen, whether or not Takatori will kill me, and I didn't want any of you to get involved."  
  
"Shh, Sol," soothed Crawford, "you know we'll never let anything bad happen to you. I...Abyssinian and I will protect you."  
  
Aya looked at Crawford, extended his hand, and Crawford shook it. Yohji came running into the room.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt this heartfelt moment, but SOMEONE HAS TO RESTRAIN THE MADMAN!! He's chasing Omi, knife drawn!"  
  
Crawford rolled his eyes. "I suppose Schuldig is outside smoking?"  
  
Yohji nodded.  
  
"Alright, I'll deal with him."  
  
"Deal with who? Mastermind, or Berserker?" asked Aya.  
  
"Both."  
  
Aya smirked. Yohji saw it, and nearly passed out.  
  
"You...you smirked! That's almost a smile!" He ran over to Solera and kissed her on both cheeks. "You miracle worker! I knew it was right for you to be in Weiss!" Yohji wandered out of the room, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
  
Crawford shook his head and followed. There was a shout, Farf's war cry, and the sound of someone or something getting thrown into a wall.  
  
Solera winced. "I hope that was a table, and not a person."  
  
Aya seemed pre-occupied with other things. "We should really get ready. I mean, we've got 5 hours to kill(A/N: Excuse the pun ^^;;), but it'll be easier if we're ready." Solera nodded and followed Aya out of the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Takatori was discussing battle plans with the General. Amber had clued them in on what could happen, and he wasn't going to take any chances where his life was involved.  
  
"Troops are stationed around the building, sir!"  
  
"Good, good. Remember this, General," Takatori leaned closer, "you are all expendable. Just as long as you keep the girl alive, I don't care how many of you die."  
  
The general gulped, saluted, and marched out of the office.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After Farf had been restrained and tied to a chair, Omi tended to his own wounds. Farf had just managed to make a shallow cut across Omi's arm, and was very pleased with himself.  
  
Aya, Crawford and Solera had just walked into the room. They had been discussing strategies for the fight.  
  
Schuldig smirked, "Well, if it isn't our favourite love triangle!"  
  
Aya and Crawford glared at Schuldig, but Solera just smiled. "Ya ready, Schu-honey?" she asked him.  
  
Schuldig smiled at the nickname. "Of course I am! I just love killing people for no real reason!" he exclaimed sarcastically.  
  
"We have a reason!" yelled Aya unexpectedly.  
  
"Calm down, Abyssinian, I was just kidding. Just because I was on the wrong side until now, doesn't mean I don't have a conscience!"  
  
Aya looked a little embarrassed, and glared at Schuldig again.  
  
"Hey, no fooling around!" said Ken, "We're going in about 20 minutes. Make sure you're ready."  
  
"Yeah," added Yohji, "we're taking Aya's car and mine. Crawford, you and Schuldig can put yours in the garage downstairs."  
  
Schuldig opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Crawford. He opted for pouting instead, and followed Yohji outside for another cigarette.  
  
Yohji turned to Schuldig. "Can I ask you something seriously?"  
  
"Ja, go right ahead."  
  
"What's the reason Takatori wants to kill Solera so much? I mean, she told us, but she did it when she was terrified, so the details were kinda sketchy."  
  
"When Crawford and I were 15...we went by the names of Brad and Kio then, you guess which is which...Anyway, when we were 15, we discovered we were psychic. Later on, we both moved away, and Sol was left in the USA without us. Our fathers worked for Esset, the people who control what Takatori does. They were captured and questioned about anyone who might know about our abilities, and Solera's name was mentioned. From then on, to my understanding, it's been Takatori's quest to find and kill her. Our fathers were killed as well. Apparently, that kind of thing happens a lot." Schuldig spoke the last bit with a sad chuckle. He missed his father; he had since he'd been left at Rosenkreuz. Even though Gerhard Mueller was an absolute bastard at times, Schuldig - Kio - felt safe. It was only now that he'd come to realise that. Jade eyes met emerald. Yohji seemed to know how he felt.  
  
Just as the other seven assassins assembled outside(the time was now 11pm), Yohji's girlfriend Taia walked up.  
  
"Yotan, honey, where are you going this late at night?" Her eyes fell on their assorted weaponry. "What's with all the weapons? Are you guys in a gang? Yohji, what's happening?"  
  
"No time to explain. But when - if - we get back, I'll tell you everything. Just don't panic." Yohji kissed Taia softly on the lips, and sat in his car.  
  
The others followed suit, Aya, Solera, Farf, Crawford and Schuldig in Aya's car, the rest in Yohji's car. As they drove off, Taia stared after them in disbelief.  
  
Kudou, she thought, when I find out what's going on, you're gonna be in trouble.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Mr Takatori, sir, they're on their way." Amber sat opposite Takatori in a large dining hall where the pair had just finished their evening meal.  
  
"Good. Amber, you know what to do when they arrive?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Excellent. After that, your services are no longer required."  
  
Amber looked up from her plate. "What do you mean, my services are no longer required? I've been a spy for Esset most of my life, and you tell me I'm no longer required? Esset will hear about this!"  
  
"Sorry, my dear, but Esset instructed me to tell you this."  
  
Amber stormed out of the dining hall, and yelled behind her, "I'll see you out there, Mr Takatori!!"  
  
Takatori smirked at her reaction. She had taken it better than expected, being a telekinetic and all. There had been minimum destruction of crockery and silverware.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Weiss and Schwarz stepped out of the cars and into the darkness.  
  
"Here's the plan," said Aya, speaking with more confidence than he felt he had, "Bengal and I will go and find the target. The rest of you, watch our backs and meet us when you can." Everyone nodded and turned to leave. "Wait!" Aya spoke again, "I want the rest of Weiss to know that even though I've been a bastard at times, you guys have always been there for me. Thank you. And Schwarz, I have never fought another team more stubborn and unwilling to give up as you. It makes me realise how similar we really are. We're both fighting for something, and won't stop until we get it. It's been a pleasure."  
  
Without even bothering to see the reactions, he walked away.  
  
"You guys better get your asses over to where we are soon," Solera said with tear-filled eyes. As she walked away, she cast one last sad look at her friends.  
  
Please God, let me live through this, she pleaded silently.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Only one more chapter to go!! Are you all ready for the finale???  
  
R+R as always ^^  
  
~Allegra Monet~ 


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